Amy Sellick And The Year Of The Basilisk
by allamericanchic
Summary: Amy Sellick is excited about her first year at Hogwarts Academy, but when she gets there something strange happens. There is a Chamber of Secrets and the person unleashing its monster could be her roommate and best friend.
1. Halfblooded

Author's Note: This is the story of Amy Elizabeth Sellick. She is going to begin her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is nothing like she could ever dream of; all of the classes have something to do with magic! But soon something terrible happens - a monster is unleashed. They say a killing beast has been let out of a chamber. How does Amy react when she learns the person responsible for unleashing this animal is her roommate in the Gryffindor dorm?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

1. Half-blooded

Here I was in my bedroom, listening as my father was speaking to Cornelius Fudge in the living room again. Cornelius Fudge was the Minister Of Magic so my father always told me that these little meetings were _very_ important. The reason we were even important enough to have Fudge over was because Dad was one of the most highly praised editors of the Daily Prophet.

I was Half-blooded, meaning that my father was born a wizard and my mum-well, she was a Muggle. But because she loved Dad she went along with our wizarding world and was open and friendly to any wizard who came over. Besides, she thought it was interesting. She just had a boring publishing job at a Muggle office.

I knew I couldn't interrupt Dad's meeting with Fudge, so I stayed up in my room pretending to not exist. Not because Fudge didn't know about me, though, because he did. I've met him several times in the past, but each time it is just that even more intimidating. I tell Dad this and he says I can stay up in my bedroom. He knows that I am very shy with his colleagues. Well who am I _not_ shy with anyway?

I was fine staying in my room anyway. It was nice. I was laying in my bed listening to my earphones, which were playing a mystical tune by my favorite band Wizards Like Witches. The song is called _Fallen For Your Dark Magic_ and it's about someone who just simply can't forget about the one they love. No matter what they do, they can't fight the feeling. I was in love with Barry Applegate, the lead singer. He had dark hair that fell over his dark eyes and he was just plain cute.

You'd think I would be perfectly fine just staying like this, but I was thirsty. And I never get thirsty during one of Dad's meetings. But right now it was like life or death, like if I didn't have a drink, I would die. The drink I was thirsty for was cinnamon apple juice, something that Dad could only conjure up by magic and Mum couldn't create even with a cook book. But since Dad was busy, I was going to have to get it myself. And I never actually tried magic before.

I slowly, quietly came down the stairwell. I didn't want to be too loud and turn Dad's important meeting into a fiasco. But surely enough, when I came down, Dad and Fudge both looked up. "Oh, hi," I said uneasily. "I was just coming down to fetch myself a drink."

"That's quite alright, darling," said Dad. "Which one?"

"Cinnamon apple juice."

Dad's amiable smile faded. "Oh, well," he said, "are you sure you don't want something else, Amy?" My full name was Amy Elizabeth Sellick.

I shook my head in response to his question. "No, not really," I replied. I immediately regretted saying this afterward. The last thing I wanted was to sound like a total headstrong brat in front of Mr. Fudge.

Dad surrender-sighed. "I have some directions in the cupboard on how to conjure up some juice, darling. Even though you don't know magic yet do you think you can try to follow the guidelines?" I nodded. "Alright, darling," he said. "And if it doesn't work I will help you out. I mean, you're thirsty, right?"

"Yes sir," I replied quickly with a laugh.

Dad smiled again. "Alright," he said. "Give it a go."

I went over to the cupboard and noticed a note on the inside. I took it out and had a look. The instructions were utterly impossible to follow. It kept telling me to wave a certain wand in a certain way for a certain amount of times. "Dad," I said, hoping to not sound obnoxious in front of Mr. Fudge. "Do you have a wand?"

"Here," said Dad, handing me his ebony wand. I loved seeing Dad's wand, but I never had the chance to use it yet. It was amazing. So I took out the bottle of the juice and sadly attempted to follow the instructions with the wand and it just didn't work. I waved the wand over it several times and nothing happened.

"Do you need any help with that, young missy?" asked Fudge.

"Oh, no, thank you, sir," I replied shyly. "I'm just yet to learn my magic."

"You know, Amy, that soon before you know it you are going to be attending school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Fudge. "There you will learn all of the spells you need to know to be a fine witch. There will be classes like Defense Against The Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, and so much more."

I already knew about Hogwarts. Dad told me about it before like ten times already, and I was very excited. I had several bullies here in my Muggle elementary class, and I was ready to go somewhere completely different. Maybe after a few years there I could finally learn to create cinnamon apple juice.

"There," said Fudge, getting up from his seat. "I will help."

"Cornelius," said Dad, his voice sounding confused.

"Oh, no matter, Filbert," said Fudge, waving away worry with his hand. "Don't worry, my kind sir. It's alright. I'm just going to help your daughter." He walked up to me. "May I have the wand, young lady?" I handed it to him. "Thank you." He waved the wand a certain amount of times above the juice bottle and muttered some funky words. It sounded like some kind of gibberish language. "Next we put it on the stove," he said, moving it onto the stove. Then he waved his wand and said something else. Before I knew it the drink was in a small cup, all ready for me to drink it.

"Thanks, Cornelius," I said.

"Your welcome, Amy," he replied. He sat down again.

"I apologize, Cornelius," said Dad, his tone pitiful.

"Rubbish, Filbert!" said Fudge. "I may be old but I'm still young enough to take favors from people! Besides, your daughter is a bright young witch-to-be. So what if she's thirsty? Trust me, I know the feeling."

Mum came in the room. "Did I just hear my daughter conjure up a juice?" she said with an embarrassingly proud look on her face.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken, Charlotte," Dad replied. "It was Mr. Fudge here."

"Hello, Charlotte," said Fudge, raising his hand to wave at her.

"Hello, Mr. Fudge," said Charlotte, a little softer. I don't blame her. I would be just as self-conscious around Fudge too. For a while Mr. Fudge acted a little reserved and uneasy around her because she was a Muggle. Fudge was a posh old wizard, meaning he favored those who were pure-blood or sometimes even half-blood wizards, and never Muggles. Dad was a pure-blood wizard and I was his daughter, so Fudge always liked us. Mum didn't like Fudge very much because of his slight prejudice but she never said anything because she didn't want to ruin Dad's relationship with him. His job was going well and she didn't want to mess things up.

"I will go back up to my room now," I announced, sensing the awkwardness amongst the adults in the room.

"Goodbye, darling!" called Mum and Dad.

"Goodbye, Amy!" called Fudge. "Good night to you!"

"It's only seven o'clock," I muttered to myself. I hated how adults always expected me to go to bed so early. I guess it was a pre-teen thing. They assume that pre-teenagers like sleeping a lot or something. Although a few minutes after I sat down in my bed I drifted off into a sleep. I forget what I dreamed about.

The next morning when I woke up Dad was telling Mum something, very loudly. That was probably why I woke up. "She's getting her school supplies today and _that's final_!" Dad yelled.

"But mustn't we think about this first?" Mum wondered.

"Charlotte," Dad said after an exasperate sigh, "you've known this was going to happen for eleven years. You _knew_ Amy was going to Hogwarts as a first-year this year. We got the letter _today_, so we're shopping _today_."

"But Hogwarts could be dangerous," said Mum. "I have no idea what it is like. I didn't go to a school for witches and wizards. I don't expect it to be bad because you say it's grand but what if it isn't what I expect? What if it is deadly?"

"It is perfect, Charlotte," said Dad. "As perfect as a school can be. Besides, do you want our Amy to continue going to that dreadful private school with all of those intolerable brats? Better to go somewhere with new friends and spells on how to protect yourself from dark arts then to go somewhere with Muggles where you don't know how to protect yourself."

"A Muggle school wouldn't have dark arts to protect yourselves from!"

"Au contraire, Charlotte. One day it could happen. They say You-Know-Who is still trying to become strong again. He and His army could try to overtake the Muggle world in a split second since they are defenseless and unknowing. Believe me, it is _much_ safer in Hogwarts."

When Dad said this it made me shudder. You-Know-Who was a terrible wizard-turned-monster who lives off of others to stay strong. I heard that just a few months ago He was living off of Quirinus Quirrell, the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts last year. Dad still tells me he's grateful that I was born one year later and I wasn't attending the school while Quirrell was teaching. But he was killed though by the famous Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

Harry Potter was going to be in the grade above me at Hogwarts. His parents were killed by You-Know-Who when he was one year old and when the monster tried to kill him it bounced back. All that was left with him was a scar shaped like a lightning bolt. This scar was supposedly left there on his forehead because You-Know-Who's curse left a mark. People wonder if the reason Harry lived was either because he was powerful or because his parents loved him so much. I know about the gossip since my dad is a reporter for the Prophet.

Suddenly interested and exuberant, I thrust myself out of bed and ran down the stairs and into the living room. "Did you say we got the letter?" I asked.

"Yes, Amy," said Dad. Winking, he handed the letter to me. I took it from him and started reading.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_Of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

_________________________

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Sellick,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_Of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

_________________________

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _

by Miranda Goshawk

_A History Of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling

_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore

_Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them _

by Newt Scamander

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

by Quintin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Did you say we were shopping today?" I asked Dad. He nodded. I sighed with a sarcastic smile. Yes, I was excited about going to Hogwarts and finding all the things I nodded, but one thing I wasn't was a shopper. Especially when the clothes you were buying was limited to some boring black robes.

"And I know just how we are going to get there!" Dad announced. He walked over to the fireplace. "Since you can not yet apparate, I have an even better idea!"

"Filbert," said Mum, her expression fearful. "Don't tell me you are going to have my daughter vanish with the Floo powder you wizards use!"

"Floo powder?" I said. "Vanish?"

"Please don't panic, Amy," Dad began, "and please don't take me wrong. You are going to go in the fireplace. You are going to use Floo powder and you are going to say 'Diagon Alley' as clearly as you can. You mustn't slur your words."

"It's suicide!" Mum complained. "It's going to kill my daughter!"

I didn't blame Mum. Go in a fireplace? It was the most outrageous thing I had ever heard in my life! It was suicidal!

"Trust me, Charlotte," Dad began, "my daughter is going to be a witch soon. Maybe she should start acting like one. Amy." He put something called Floo Powder in my hand. "You must pronounce it clearly, alright? You don't want to end up in Knockturn Alley."

Diagon Alley? Knockturn Alley? All of these wizard places.

I wasn't going to walk into the fireplace though. Dad put out the fire with his magic wand. The fire was put out. "Go on, Amy," he said. "Don't be frightened."

I held up the clump of glittery powder in my hand and yelled, "Diagon Alley!" Then I vanished with a green flash of light. I could hear Mum's gasps as I did this. Soon enough though I found myself in a bustling little town filled with people that looked like witches and wizards. They wore pointed wizard hats, robes, and other unique accessories. I stayed where I was so I could wait for Dad to come.

When Dad came he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Let's go, then," he said. "Where should we start first?"

Out of nowhere Mum came along too. She was breathing heavily. "Wow," she said, smiling. "I guess it wasn't half that bad."

"Of course it wasn't!" said Dad. "You're just a worrywart! Come, come.

We need to collect Amy's supplies."

I went to look for an owl because I much preferred them to cats and toads. Cats scared me at times and toads were just ew. The owl I bought was a baby. It was extremely tiny and silver. The reason I bought it was because it was just so _cute_! It was like a tiny ball of fluff! "I want to name it Silvermist," I said.

"Why is that, darling?" said Dad.

"Because it's silver," I replied. Obviously.

"Alright, then," said Dad. We paid for it and then left the store. After putting it in a cage we headed to Madam Malkin's. There I bought my robes. They were all a little big for me, especially since I was a bit too tall and too thin for my age, which was eleven. So I got the smallest size.

Next we went to Ollivanders, the wand shop. It was a very empty little building. Here you weren't supposed to find the wand; it was supposed to find you. When I opened the door I saw an old man with wide, pale eyes.

"Um…hello there," I said shyly.

"I am Mr. Ollivander. What is your name, my dear?" asked the old man, narrowing his silvery eyes at me, as if he were trying to see better.

"Amy Sellick," I replied.

"Ah, yes," he said, walking over to a shelf with wands. "Sellick. I remember when your father, Filbert, was buying his wand. Feels just like yesterday. I recall he has an ebony one with unicorn hair. It's eight and a half inches and springy. Am I correct? Does he still use it often?"

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Then you ought to try it out," Mr. Ollivander pointed out. He took down a wand from one of the shelves. It held a great resemblance to my father's, except it was younger and fresher looking and it had a gold mark on it. He handed it to me. "There you are. Try it out. Give it a wave or two."

I was nervous. I remembered how earlier I tried out my father's wand and it didn't work. I waved the wand once or twice and nothing happened, just like earlier. "It doesn't work, sir," I pointed out.

"Then I suggest you try this one," he said, holding up another wand. "It is burgundy and made of phoenix hairs. It is six inches long - a short fellow - but it is straight and doesn't bend easily. It is very powerful too. Give it a wave."

I took it from him. I gave it a wave or two and it lit up. "I think it's working, sir," I said.

"And your thoughts are correct, my dear," said Mr. Ollivander. "This wand is the perfect match for you. I suggest you buy it."

Then Dad came in. "Hello to you, Mr. Ollivander," he said. "How is your day?"

"Just fine, Filbert," Mr. Ollivander replied. "Just fine. Your daughter here wishes to buy this wand. It is just perfect for her."

"I'll buy it then, sir," said Dad. He and Mr. Ollivander both walked over to the cashier register. Dad gave him a few galleons. I had my wand picked out. Then Dad and I went over to the apothecary and shopped some more.

After finishing shopping for some disgusting things at the apothecary Dad, Mum, and I headed to Flourish and Blotts. But there was a huge crowd of people outside of the bookshop. "What is this?" said Mum.

"Oh no," said Dad. "Today was the day Gilderoy Lockhart was supposed to sign books."

"Who is that?" Mum asked. I couldn't blame her.

"He is a very important author, Charlotte," Dad replied. "He's a famous wizard and he has done some very amazing things. I've heard he's dealt with creatures such as banshees, ghouls, hags, trolls, vampires, werewolves, and even yetis. Everyone has come to see him." Well after doing all of that mad stuff I _would_ expect people to want to see him.

"What is he like, Father?" I asked.

"People make him up to sound so grand," Dad began, "but really he's kind of self-important if you ask me. I guess that's why people like him so much."

There was another girl standing next to me in line. She looked around my age - maybe older - with bushy brown hair and brown eyes. She looked extremely excited, so I supposed she was a Lockhart fan. "Hello," I said to her. She turned around. "Are you here to see Lockhart?"

"Of course," the girl replied. "He's so amazing. And he's written almost the entire booklist for second years. You going to Hogwarts, right?" I nodded. "Are you a first year?" she asked. I nodded again. "Well welcome to Hogwarts, Miss-"

"Amy Sellick," I said.

"Hello, Amy," said the girl. "My name is Hermione Granger. I am in the Gryffindor house. I hope you're in Gryffindor too."

I wasn't sure about exactly what Gryffindor was, but it sounded good so I supposed it was.

"Who are you speaking to, Hermione?" asked a taller boy with red hair, freckles, and a long nose.

"Her name is Amy Sellick, Ron," she replied. "She's going into her first year at Hogwarts soon. You should introduce yourself."

"Ron Weasley," said the redheaded boy, smiling at me. "I have a sister who's going into her first year in a few months time also. Maybe you'll meet her and have some classes with her."

"That would be wonderful," I said.

"Hi, Amy!" said a boy with untidy black hair, blue green eyes, and glasses. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

My eyes widened in shock and amazement. _This_ was Harry Potter standing right in front of _me_! He said hi to _me_! "Is it true?" I wondered. "Do you have the-"

"The scar, yes, right," said Harry. He brushed his untidy bangs away from his face, revealing a scar shaped like a lightning bolt.

"Wow," I said.

"Harry Potter, really?" asked Dad. He grabbed Harry by the shoulders and made him face him. "May I see the scar?" Harry pointed to his scar. "Well I'll be! It really _is_ you! What was it like facing You-Know-Who again a few months ago?"

"Dad," I said, a little embarrassed. "Don't overwhelm him. Give him some air. I'm sure he is all flustered about You-Know-Who enough as it is."

"Oh, sorry," said Dad, letting go of Harry.

"It's alright," said Harry.

Then we finally were able to get in the bookshop, but we were still in a long line. It wound to the back of the store. "So are you here to have books signed?" Hermione asked me. "I'm sure first years have some books on their list written by Gilderoy Lockhart also."

"No," I replied. "But I think it would still be interesting to meet him." Then the line started moving. This way I was able to get a glimpse of Gilderoy Lockhart. He was fairly attractive. He was wearing forget-me-not blue robes. He had wavy golden hair and squeaky-clean white teeth.

"Out of the way, there," a short, hurried man demanded Ron as he jumped up and down to get some pictures of Lockhart. "This is for the _Daily Prophet_-"

"Big deal," Ron muttered. He was rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

"I suppose I'm going to have to edit an article about Mr. Lockhart when I get back to work," said Dad.

Gilderoy Lockhart's pale blue eyes shot right up at Ron and Harry. Then he dramatically exclaimed, "It _can't_ be Harry Potter?"

The crowd chattered as Lockhart dove into the audience, gripped Harry's arm tightly, and pulled him over to where he was signing books. Everyone roared and clapped their hands as Lockhart shook Harry's hand for some pictures. "Nice big smile, Harry," he said. "Together, you and I are worth the front page." Harry tried to leave but Lockhart pulled him to his side quickly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the important man began, waving his hand to quiet the room. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!" He went on about his speech. I barely paid attention until people cheered some more at the end.

"What is it?" I asked Hermione.

"Did you hear?" she said. "Lockhart's going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts! I can't imagine anything better!" When she said this Harry came back to where we were standing in line.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice out of nowhere. When I looked up I could see a tall boy with a pointed face and slick white-blond hair. He was sneering. "_Famous_ Harry Potter. Can't even go into a _bookshop_ without making the front page."

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all of that!" said a redheaded girl. She might have been Ron's sister he told me about.

"Potter, you've got yourself a _girlfriend_!" the blond boy said slowly and clearly. The redheaded girl flushed. Ron and Hermione came over, carrying some of Lockhart's books.

"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at the blond boy. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," said the blond boy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

When Ron flushed I looked away. I didn't like getting into other people's business- especially when they were fighting. Then a man with red hair came over. Next thing I knew there was a man with white blond hair standing by the boy who looked like him- probably his father. His hand was on his son's shoulder. "Well, well, well- Arthur Weasely," the blond man said, sneering.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasely, glaring.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Lucius. "All those raids…I hope they're paying you overtime?" He reached into the cauldron the redheaded girl was holding and pulled out an old, ugly book that said _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_. "Obviously not. Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

_Malfoy_? From what I understood Dad told me he knew a man from work with the name Malfoy, and he was one of his greatest friends. I was almost hoping _this_ wasn't that Malfoy, because this one seemed so mean.

"Clearly," said Malfoy, "the company you keep, Weasley…and I thought your family could sink no lower-" Immediately after that Mr. Weasley lunged at Mr. Malfoy and knocked him into a bookshelf.

"Get him, Dad!" shouted two older, identical redheaded boys. There was some more screaming too, but then the fight was broken up.

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up!" yelled a giant man with a long hair and a big beard. He pulled the two men apart. Mr. Malfoy was still holding the redheaded girl's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her.

"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you!" He pulled away from the giant man. He and his son went outside as the giant man began talking to Mr. Weasley. Ron, Harry, and Hermione said bye to me when they left. They were much more subdued now.

"The line's moving," said Dad. Soon enough we were right up close to Gilderoy Lockhart. "Go on. Charlotte will take a picture of the two of you, Amy," he said. "Charlotte, did you bring your Muggle camera?"

Charlotte laughed. "Filbert, _please_ don't use that term with me anymore! I'm your _wife_! Not just any old Muggle! And yes!" She held up her camera.

"Hello," I said to Lockhart, shyly. I went over behind the desk he was standing at and stood next to him.

"Why hello to you too, darling," said Lockhart. He shook hands with me. "What is your name?"

"Amy Sellick," I replied.

"Amy Sellick," he repeated. Then he smiled (showing off all of his glittery white teeth) as Mum took a picture. She wasn't the only one though. The other photographers were taking pictures too. "Say, Amy, I just _know_ you'll be attending Hogwarts if you're not already soon enough! Now tell me what do you think of it?"

"I think it sounds nice," I replied.

"Well you're in for a real treat, Amy," he began, "because _I_ am going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." He scoffed. "It's about _time_ they've hired a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Haven't you heard of the one last year?" He shuddered. "Now they finally understand they should give young wizards and witches a proper education!"

"That's true," I agreed.

"Thank you so much, sir!" said Mum.

"Not a problem, not a problem, Madam," said Lockhart, waving his hand pompously. "I am thrilled to have met your daughter! Especially since she's going to be my student very soon!"

"Have a good rest of the summer, sir," said Dad.

"You too, Mr. Sellick," Lockhart replied. "Goodbye, Amy." I waved one last time as we headed toward the exit of the bookshop.

When we were outside I saw Mr. Malfoy yelling at his son. "Hey, look," said Dad. "It's Mr. Malfoy and his son Draco! Should we go talk to them?"

"_Really_?" I asked. Even though I prayed it wasn't, I _knew_ it would be the Malfoy Dad told me about. And it _was_.

"Please, Amy!" said Dad. "Maybe not Charlotte though. She's already met Lucius and all but she tells me she's still a little bit uncomfortable around pure-blood wizard families and their attitudes against Muggles. Would you like to meet Lucius, Amy?" I surrender-sighed and nodded. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Lucius?"

Lucius turned around. A large grin crept upon his face. "Hello, Filbert!" he said. "What brings you here this fine afternoon?"

"Well we were just here shopping for school supplies," said Dad. "You know my daughter is going into her first year of Hogwarts, don't you, Lucius?"

Before I could look away Lucius caught eyes with me. His grin grew even larger then. "Yes, I _did_ know!" he replied. He strutted up to me. "Hello, there, Miss Amy," he said, smiling down at me. "I am so delighted that I am finally meeting you for the first time, young lady. Are you excited about Hogwarts?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, quietly. He intimidated me more than anyone else I had ever met. More than Cornelius Fudge. More than Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Pardon me, Amy," he said, his tone annoyed but polite. "What did you say?"

"I said yes, sir," I repeated louder and quicker.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Very well, then," he said. Next he turned and faced Dad again. "You have yourself a very pretty daughter, Filbert. She looks an awful lot like her mother." Then he leaned in closer toward Dad and started whispering something. I guessed he didn't want me to hear what he said next but I did anyway. "Don't get me wrong; your wife is a handsome woman, but I still believe you could have strived for a witch. Preferably a _pure-blooded _witch."

"I love Charlotte," Dad said, his expression stern now. The two men turned and looked over at Mum, whose long, full golden blond hair was blowing in the wind. My hair was long and full too, but _brown_ like my dad's.

"I know," said Lucius, moving away from Dad. "I know you do, Filbert."

"Hello, there," said a voice that sounded like Lucius' son, Draco's. "Amy, is it?" I turned around and saw it _was _Draco. He was giving me a naughty grin. It kind of made me uncomfortable at first, but I answered him anyway.

"Yes," I replied.

"Dad says you're a Sellick," said Draco. "The Sellicks are a part of a long line of powerful, great witches and wizards. Aside from your Muggle mother, I think that you could become great too. Make your ancestors proud. And only the _greatest_ are in Slytherin at Hogwarts."

"I met a girl earlier," I began, "who said she would hope for me to be in Gryffindor. Is Slytherin a house too?"

"Yes," Draco replied, his grin fading. "And don't listen to that girl, whoever she was."

"Her name was Hermione Granger," I pointed out.

His face turned green. "Ew," he said. "Then _really_ don't listen to _her_. _She_ doesn't have any good advice to give." He then came really close to me, which made me even more uncomfortable. "Be in Slytherin."

"Fine, I'll try," I said, backing away a little bit. He chuckled.

"Draco, we go home now!" called Lucius, clapping his hands in the air.

Draco turned to him, then back at me. "See you at Hogwarts, Amy," he said, grinning evilly again.

"Okay," I said. Draco winked at me and then followed Lucius as they left the area. Dad walked back over to me.

"So are we finished for shopping?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," I replied as if I was in a trance. I was watching Draco as he left, and for some reason I just couldn't look away.

............

Author's Note: Yay! Chapter one is finished! Well if you like it please comment! I do like feedback! So far life seems pretty normal for Amy, right? But that won't last much longer! In fact life is utterly _far _from normal for her! Sure, it's pretty cool having a father whose a wizard with an awesome job at the Ministry of Magic, and especially going to a new school that's completely different from your last, but is it always really safe?


	2. Gryffindor

Author's Note: Review - Amy Sellick, half-blooded daughter of Filbert and Charlotte Sellick, is stoked about going to Hogwarts Academy but she still has some shopping to do. But Amy isn't just any witch; her father comes from a very famous, well-known pure-blooded line of wizards. They are tight with the Minister of Magic. But there is another big name going to Hogwarts too; Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. And he's entering his second year.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

2. Gryffindor

In a few weeks time it was the first day of Hogwarts! I was extremely nervous, to be honest. I had to round up all my things together, including my owl, my robes, my books, and my wand. "She mustn't act in haste, Filbert!" said Mum, playfully slapping Dad. "I still need to get a picture!" She held up her camera as I stood in front of the door with my robes on.

"Charlotte, she has to go, though!" he complained. "She'll be late!" I was standing there for about what seemed like five more picture takes, but I was still smiling, even though the sides of my mouth were beginning to tremble. Dad grabbed me by the wrist. "No, Charlotte, we're leaving now!" he announced.

"Oh, alright," she said. She followed us as we scurried out the door. I was holding my owl cage in one hand and some of my books in the other. My parents hopped in the front seats of the car and I took the back. Dad seemed to drive very quickly through the streets of London to get to King's Cross Station, the place where the train would take us to Hogwarts. Mum kept screaming, thinking she was going to die. But when we got there she was relieved.

"Filbert!" she exclaimed, slapping him. "Never, _never_ do that again or I'm going to _kill_ you!" He just giggled playfully when she said this.

"We have to hurry!" I pointed out.

"Oh, yes," said Dad. "Keep your things with you, Amy, like Silvermist and your supplies. Don't let anyone steal them. But leave them in the train. I remember they turn those into the castle separately."

"Castle?" I said in amazement.

"Yes," Dad replied. "Yes, castle. That's what Hogwarts is."

Many Muggles were staring at us, although there were many children running around with animals and wands also. They should have been used to the sight by now. "What's the platform?" Mum asked.

"Nine and three-quarters," Dad replied.

"No," Mum and I replied at once.

"Yes, it is!" he argued. "But it really isn't that hard to get to! Here, watch _them_! _They're_ doing it!" I looked up and saw some students running into a barrier and vanishing. It looked terrifying, but I was magic. And being magic meant that you would have to do some crazy things.

"How do I do it though?" I asked.

"You place your owl cage on top of a trolley," Dad explained. "Here, there's a trolley!" He grabbed a trolley from a bewildered Muggle and rolled it toward me. "Come on, I'll do it first!" He grabbed a trolley from another appalled Muggle and broke through the barrier.

"I think you should do it, dear," said Mum, rubbing my back.

I took a deep breath, moved quickly into the barrier, and nothing happened I would have expected. I didn't break my skull. I wasn't on the ground. There wasn't a loud booming sound that would make everyone turn toward me and look at me like I was mad. I was in a different train station, and there was only one train. It was the Hogwarts Express. Dad was there ready to greet me on the other side.

"Have a good year, darling," he said. "Your mum and I will miss you very much."

"I'll miss you too," I said truthfully. We gave each other a big hug and then he left through the barrier again. When I walked by an older girl with black hair and a pug-like face grimaced at me.

"Why is she wearing her robes?" she asked with a sneer. Her friends laughed.

I supposed she was right. Pretty much _nobody_ was wearing their robes. They were all in their normal outfits. I felt like such a loser. I just wanted to disappear into the barrier and never show my face in the wizarding world again. So far it looked as if things wouldn't change in Hogwarts; I would still be an unpopular, bullied nobody here too.

Since time was running out, I ran into the train. There seemed to be many different compartments, and the whole entire time I was just trying to flee any students who looked mean and would make fun of me wearing my robes. Now _that_ would be humiliating. So I looked for an empty compartment.

Within a few minutes though I saw Hermione Granger walking by. And strangely, _she_ was wearing her robes too. "Hermione!" I called, waving my hands like crazy. I wanted her to notice and sit with me.

She smiled at me. "I'm sorry," she said. "I have to sit with the other Gryffindors. But I'm sure Ginny would be happy to sit with you."

"Ginny?" I repeated. Within seconds the same redheaded girl I saw at Flourish and Blotts came along. Ginny must have been Ron's younger sister. She looked in the compartment at me.

"Ginny, sit with Amy," said Hermione.

Ginny didn't say anything, but she walked in the compartment. She was wearing one braid in her hair- a side braid in the very front. "I like your hair," I told her to be polite.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling shyly.

"You're welcome." I stopped talking. She sat right across from me. For the next few minutes (the train had already started moving by then) we didn't speak. I wasn't good with making conversation and Ginny was too busy writing in a journal. "Excuse me, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is that book?" I asked.

"It's a diary," said Ginny.

"I understand," I replied, nodding. And for the next few minutes, _again_, there was a long, awkward silence.

"You could…write in it if you'd like," Ginny offered.

I made a face. That was a little odd for someone to ask someone else to write in the same diary they were writing in. "Um…sure," I said. She handed me the diary. I didn't really know what to write, but she was staring at me, so it was very uncomfortable to not write anything. I then picked up a quill pen and wrote, "_Beginning my first day of Hogwarts. Very excited, but also very nervous."_ I lowered my pen and looked up at Ginny. "Now what?"

"You wait," she replied.

I shrugged, and waited. And soon enough in the next few moments different words appeared on the page, in different _handwriting_ too! It said, "_What is your name, new student to Hogwarts_?"

I gave Ginny a confused look. "You write back," she said.

"Is this some kind of magic?" I asked. She shrugged. When I lifted the quill pen Silvermist started shaking around in his cage instinctively. I then wrote, "_My name is Amy Sellick. Who are you_?"

"_Tom Marvolo Riddle_," it replied.

I looked up at Ginny again. "Who is Tom Marvolo Riddle?" I wanted to know.

"I'm not sure," Ginny began, "but I know he's a great wizard."

Hours later the train started to slow down. It was night already. I looked out the window. Since it was dark I could see my reflection; my long face was staring back at me and my hair looked like a rat's nest. Ginny, on the other hand, still had perfect, silky red hair. She was in her robes now all of a sudden.

"What happened?" I asked, just realizing that the diary was still in my hand.

"You fell asleep," Ginny replied. "But we're here now."

"Maybe I shouldn't have slept," I pointed out, looking at my tired expression in the window with scorn. I looked like a mess.

"Here," said Ginny. She reached into one of her bags and pulled out a brush. She ran over to me and started brushing my hair. After brushing my hair for about two minutes she tied it up in a thick ponytail. "Much better now."

"Thank you so much," I said gratefully.

"You're welcome," she said.

Everyone rushed out of the train. I felt much better now because everyone was wearing their robes now. Then I saw a familiar face; it was the giant man's with the big beard and long hair that I saw at Flourish and Blotts. "Firs' years! Firs' years!" he chanted. "C'mon follow me- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

"Who is he?" I asked Ginny in a loud whisper.

"That's Hagrid, Dumbledore's trusty gamekeeper," Ginny replied. "I guess my family kind of knows him." I nodded as we walked down a tiny, dark platform.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here." He was holding a lamp up in the air.

There were oohs and awes from all of the students around me. The narrow path we'd been walking on suddenly widened on the edge of a great black lake. On top of a mountain stood a castle with many turrets and towers. Its windows were sparkling in the starry sky. Hagrid walked over to a lake, where a bunch of boats had been parked.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid announced, pointing to the boats with a large finger. Then everyone started rushing toward the boats at once. I stayed behind, almost sure I wouldn't get in one. But someone grabbed my arm and started running toward the boats.

"Come on, Amy!" The voice belonged to Ginny Weasley. She was helping me to get to the front of the crowd. I was still clutching the diary in my hand. My hair was being whipped around partly from the wind, partly from the speed. I ended up sharing a boat with Ginny and two random boys who ignored us. Lovely.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had his own boat. "Right then- FORWARD!" All at once the little boats started sailing across the smooth lake. We bent our heads as we went through a curtain of ivy that covered a large opening in the face of the cliff. "Heads down!" yelled Hagrid. The boats were still progressing towards the castle and its mountain.

Ginny looked entirely serene for the whole entire ride, but out of nowhere she got a slightly pained expression. "Tom-" she said. "Where is Tom?"

"Tom _who_?" I asked.

"Tom Riddle," she replied, searching the boat frantically with her hands.

"Oh," I said.

"There he is!" Ginny exclaimed, snatching the diary from me. Then she hugged the book as the two random boys in our boat stared at her like she was from a different planet or something.

Next the boats went through a dark tunnel that seemed to be underneath the castle. Then we reached an underground harbor. We climbed out onto rocks, pebbles, stones, and other forms of minerals. Hagrid, with his lamp in his giant fist, led us through damp grass in front of the castle's shadow. We walked up a flight of stone steps to get to the large, oak front door.

"Everyone here?" said Hagrid. When everyone nodded Hagrid raised his fist and knocked on the castle door three times. The door swung open. Behind it was a tall witch with black hair and a strict expression. She wore emerald robes. She looked down at all of the new faces staring up at her. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. So _she_ was the one who wrote everyone's letters!

"Thank you, Hagrid," she replied. "I will take-" She paused and everyone looked up all at once to hear some loud crunching sounds in the distance. "It can't be the Whomping Willow," she said to herself.

"The Whomping Willow?" I asked Ginny. She shrugged.

"Nah, it can't be!" Hagrid exclaimed.

"I'll take them from here," McGonagall finished, a nervous expression on her face. She opened the door to a huge entrance hall. It was made of stone. It had been lit up by flaming torches. It had an extremely high ceiling, and a majestic marble staircase leading up to the higher floors.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.

"Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is rewarded the house cups, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

"Hufflepuff!" a girl said with a snort. "If I'm in Hufflepuff I think I will change schools!"

"Why is that?" I asked.

She shot me a look. "You don't know _why_?" she wanted to know. I shook my head. "Because it's for losers, _that's_ why! Do you even know what they're known for? Being lazy and _loyal_! I mean what kind of qualities are _those_?"

"I think being loyal is a great quality," said Ginny.

The other girl snorted again. "That's _your_ opinion," she said.

"I think I'll be Hufflepuff," I said, bowing my head in shame.

"It's not a bad thing," said Ginny. "It just doesn't mean there's any thing exceptional about you though."

I gritted my teeth. The very thought of it stressed me out. "What do you think you'll be in, Ginny?" I asked.

"Gryffindor," Ginny replied. "Because all of my siblings and my parents were. So I think that's where I'll be." That just made me even more jealous. In a few seconds Ginny and I both jumped in shock because about twenty transparent ghosts glided across the room and chatted with each other. They didn't seem to notice any of us, but one did. He was wearing a ruff and tights.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" he exclaimed. "Because that _was_ my old house!"

"Ew," the same girl who bashed Hufflepuff earlier muttered.

"Come, now," said McGonagall. "The Sorting Ceremony is starting soon. Form a line and follow me." The whole group started to form an entire, straight line. Then we followed McGonagall, who was leading us out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. There were a ton of lit candles floating in the air above four long tables. The older students were sitting at these four tables. At the top of the hall, there was another long table, which the teachers were sitting at.

"Stand here," said McGonagall, gesturing for us to stand with our backs facing the teachers. We were looking at the older students, who stared back up at us.

"Where's Ron and Harry?" asked Ginny.

"Huh?" I said. "They should be here." But when she didn't respond I realized she was asking Hermione. Hermione was sitting at a long table and shrugging her shoulders up at Ginny.

Everyone jumped when McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of all of the first years. She placed an old, dirty wizard's hat on it. Nobody spoke. Everyone was listening to hear what would happen next. The hat started twitching. There was a rip toward its brim that opened like a mouth, and it began _singing_:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see. I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me. You can keep your bowlers black, your top hats sleek and tall, for I'm the Sorting Hat and I can cap them all. There's nothing hidden in your head the Sorting Hat can't see, so try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be._

"_You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart. Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart. You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal. Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil. _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind. Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends. Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.

"_So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap! You're in safe hands (though I have none) for I'm a Thinking Cap_!"

The crowd roared with applause. The hat bowed before it froze again. McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long scroll in the air. She began reading names aloud. Whose ever name she called would come up, sit on the stool, have the hat placed on their head, and have their house determined.

"Creevey, Colin!" she shouted. Then a very small, mousy-haired boy ran up to the stage. He sat down on the stool and placed the hat on his head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" announced the hat. Everyone at the long table Hermione was sitting at clapped as Colin joined them.

"He's so lucky," I said.

"Oh, come off it, Amy," snapped Ginny. "It's just a stupid house. It makes no difference. Besides! For all we know _you_ could be a Gryffindor too."

_You're so lucky_.

"Lovegood, Luna!" McGonagall shouted. Next a girl with straggly, waist-length dirty blond hair and protuberant blue eyes skipped up toward the stage and placed the hat on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" the Sorting Hat announced. Everyone at one of the other tables cheered as Luna made her way toward the table.

I was nervous the whole entire time they were announcing names. In fact sometimes my mind would wander and I would be thinking of something else until I'd hear cheering and then I'd wake up again. This way time went by much quicker, and before I knew it, it was _my_ turn.

"Sellick, Amy!" shouted McGonagall. As I slowly made it through toward the steps up the stage people stared at me in awe.

"Is she not the daughter of Filbert Sellick?" some students whispered amongst themselves. After all Filbert Sellick _was_ a famous reporter, author, and also a great hero. In fact he had fought against You-Know-Who and His army before, but quit when the menace disappeared and looked into magical journalism. Yes, I wasn't just an ordinary witch. I was the daughter of a famous, pure-blooded wizard.

I looked down at one of the tables. Draco Malfoy, who was already going into his second year, was looking up at me, interested. His butt was on the edge of his seat and he looked utterly rigid. What was the matter with him?

I sat down on the stool and placed the hat down on my head. "Hmmm," said the Sorting Hat. This startled me a bit since I almost forgot it spoke. "Let me see, let me see, Ms. Sellick. You are loyal and hardworking, just like a Hufflepuff." My heart sank when he said this. "But those are great qualities, Amy," he added. "Hmm. But you also have great knowledge and are always ready to learn something new. Hmm…daughter of Filbert Sellick, eh? Magnificent wizard. Magnificent family. In fact _so_ magnificent I might just have to place you in Slytherin."

Draco seemed to hear this because now he leaned in closer to hear more. He still looked stiff. What was he thinking?

"But what's this I see?" said the Sorting Hat. "Not only was Filbert a _great _wizard, but he was also a very _brave _wizard! You may not yet realize it, but you possess his courage too! Hmmm…let me think…between all four houses…I got it! Although you fit all four, you better be sure- GRYFFINDOR!"

I almost felt light-headed when I took off the hat and ran over to the table where Hermione was. She and everyone else at the table was cheering like mad, probably excited they had two big names in their house. The other one being Harry, who wasn't here tonight for some reason. When Hermione offered me a seat I looked up at Draco again. He looked miserable with his arms crossed.

"Weasley, Ginerva!" shouted McGonagall. When she said this Draco and his friends snorted, like being a Weasley was such a terrible thing to be.

Ginny didn't look as nervous as I did when she stepped up on the stage, but she was searching the Gryffindor table with a slightly worried expression on her face. I supposed she was looking for Ron and Harry.

"Ginerva," said McGonagall, pointing to the hat. Ginny nodded and placed it on her head.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said the Sorting Hat. "I know _just_ where to put _you_! GRYFFINDOR!" Ginny took off her hat, ran over to our table, and joined us.

When the Sorting Ceremony was over we all looked up at the High Table, which was where all of the teachers were sitting. I started to observe some of the teachers. One of them had greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. Then I saw a very small one that looked like he could have been part-Goblin. Next I saw a plump woman with a pointed witch's hat on her head. Then I could see Hagrid, Gilderoy Lockhart, and McGonagall took a seat next to them.

In the middle sat an old man with long silver hair and a long silver beard. He was sitting in a large gold chair. This was Professor Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, or so I have heard. He stood up to make a speech. He held his arms out to quiet everyone.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words! And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

"What was that for?" I asked Hermione.

"The banquet," Hermione replied. And as soon as she said that the empty dishes that had been on our tables had food in them! There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs. Everyone cheered. "See?" she asked, beaming.

"Yes," I replied, smiling back. I reached over to have some of the Yorkshire pudding. I never actually tried it before, but with all of this food here I believed I could try several new things.

All of a sudden a ghost flew by. "Hello, first years!" he called, waving to each one of the first years. Then he stopped by Hermione, Ginny, and me. "Hello to you again, Miss Granger. Ginny, Amy, good first year to you two!"

"You too!" Hermione replied.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Percy says it's Nearly Headless Nick," Ginny whispered.

"I would prefer to be called Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," the ghost pointed out. "I am a resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"_Nearly_ headless?" I said. "What does _that_ mean?"

"This!" he replied. He gripped his left ear and pulled. His head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder, but it wasn't off. It was still on, hanging limply to the side. I felt like I was going to barf everything I had just eaten. Soon enough though he flipped his head back on his neck. "Good day then!" he said and left.

There were several other ghosts too, including the Bloody Baron. He was the Slytherin ghost. He had blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and silver stains of blood on his robes. The next ghost to appear was tiny with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth. He had walking sticks, but was floating in the air.

"Ooh!" he cackled. He looked down evilly at Ginny and me. "Ickle firsties! We are going to have ourselves a fun year, aren't we now?"

"Go _away_, Peeves!" shouted a tall red-haired boy. "Or I'll tell the Baron!"

"Go Percy!" Ginny said quietly to me. I laughed. So the boy was Percy.

Peeves stuck his fingers in his ears and stuck out his tongue at Percy. It was a very odd sight, but I was relieved when he left.

"Watch out for Peeves," Percy said to Ginny and me. "He only listens to the Bloody Baron, not even us prefects."

When we were full of our food the rest of it magically disappeared. It was replaced by new food- dessert! There was ice cream, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding, and much more. Feeling sick from the Yorkshire pudding (which I did _not _like, by the way) I shoveled ice cream into my mouth with my spoon. I wanted to eat something I actually adored.

Dumbledore got to his feet again. "Since we are fed and watered, I am going to give you a few more words! First years, note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. Same with my older students.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic will be used between classes in the corridors _again_. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And I have one more announcement.

"We apologize for hiring last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirinus Quirrell. We had no idea he worked with You-Know-Who and we should have checked his background more thoroughly. That's why this year, we hired Gilderoy Lockhart." Everyone cheered. Gilderoy stood up, bowed, and flashed his sparkly white teeth at everyone. "Gilderoy," Dumbledore continued, "is an accomplished, brave wizard and you will be safe as long as he teaches the Defense Against the Dark Arts. Gilderoy, make a speech."

When Lockhart opened his mouth to speak Hermione batted her eyelashes. "Isn't he handsome?" she asked me.

"He is," I replied. But also a little vain.

"Hello, students of Hogwarts!" Lockhart yelled.

"Hello, Professor Lockhart!" everyone shouted back.

"Yes, yes, I _know_ you all know who I am," Lockhart said vainly. "_Everyone_ in our world knows who _I_ am. Dumbledore asked me to take this position because I have battled some of the worst creatures, and _I_ know how to stand up to them if there's any trouble. Let us not blame Dumbledore for hiring that ridiculous fool of a teacher, that Quirrell man, but let us call it a mistake instead. Dumbledore is very sorry for his actions, but this way I promise you it will _never_. _Ever_ happen again."

Everyone cheered again. Hermione and some other girls rose to their feet. I did too so I could copy Hermione. Ginny just sat there, writing in Tom Riddle's diary some more. I thought her obsession on Tom was unhealthy.

Lockhart sat back down and Dumbledore stood again. "And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" he exclaimed. He gave his wand a little wave and a long gold ribbon flew out of it. It rose high above the tables and contorted itself into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!"

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please, whether we be old and bald or young with scabby knees. Our heads could do with some filling with some interesting stuff, for now they're bare and full of air, dead flies and bits of fluff. So teach us things worth knowing, bring back what we've forgot. Just do your best, we'll do the rest, and learn until our brains all rot._"

Since everyone was each singing their own favorite tune they all finished at different times. The last two who were singing were Ginny's older twin brothers (she told me) Fred and George, the two boys who were cheering their father on at Flourish and Blotts during his fight with Mr. Malfoy. They were singing it to the tune of a slow funeral march. Dumbledore lifted his wand in the air and made the words disappear before they could finish.

"I _do_ love music," said Dumbledore. "Now off to bed. Trot!"

"First years of Gryffindor!" Percy exclaimed. "Come with me!" He was cuffing his hands over his mouth as if to be heard over all of the chatter. I was going to follow him but then I heard someone say my name.

"Amy," they said. I turned around. It was Draco.

"Draco," I said, startled.

"Too bad you're not in Slytherin," said Draco, looking down at the floor. "You know, you would have been a great witch if you were."

"Thanks, Draco, but I had no control," I pointed out. He looked up at me and glared. For some reason this offended him.

"Sellick!" yelled Percy. "Time to go to bed, Sellick! Chat with students from different houses _later_!"

I ran over to Percy and the other Gryffindors, giving Draco one more look for the last time. I followed Percy through the bustling crowd, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Everyone in the portraits in the halls were _alive_, but I wasn't surprised. Dad had some paintings that were alive in a private room at our house. He never let Charlotte go in there because she might freak out, but sometimes Dad would take me there and show me what the wizarding world was like. In the wizarding world, portraits moved. And talked.

Next we walked through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. We climbed even more staircases. At the end of the corridor we saw a portrait of a fat woman in a pink silk dress. "Password?" she said.

"Wattlebird," said Percy. Then the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. Everyone walked through it, one at a time, which took a while. When I got in the cozy, circular room I heard some Gryffindors talking.

"Is it true then?" asked an older black boy with dreadlocks. "Are Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley _really_ going to be expelled?"

"That's what I heard though," replied a boy with sandy blond hair and an Irish accent. He looked maybe one year older than me. "They crashed a flying car into the Whomping Willow. I was talking to a first year not too long ago, and they told me they were hearing loud crunching sounds in the distance before they stepped into Hogwarts. _That's_ what it was. The car being battered by the Whomping Willow."

"What, Seamus?" Hermione yelled. She marched up to the sandy-haired boy. "What happened to Harry and Ron?" Ginny and I joined her. We were interested to hear about what had happened to the two boys.

"They crashed a flying car into the Whomping Willow and are in trouble for it," Seamus replied. "That's why they weren't in the train."

"But why did they get here by car?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Who knows?" asked the boy with dreadlocks. "Maybe they were too afraid to break through the barrier this time."

"No, Lee," said Hermione. "I know them. They wouldn't be too afraid to break through some stupid barrier."

"Yes, it's just a bunch of rubbish what you boys are saying," said Percy, suddenly overhearing. "I bet that Ron and Harry are just late to class, that's all."

"I'm going to go look for them," Hermione whispered to Ginny and me.

"Oh no, Hermione," said Ginny. "Ron- he told me about Filch! He told me that if Filch finds you wandering around you could get detention!"

"I don't care," Hermione replied. "I'm just going to go looking for Ron and Harry. Goodbye." She walked over to the portrait hole. It opened for her as she sneaked out.

Within minutes, I was startled to hear a loud round of applause. People ran over to the portrait hole to help Ron and Harry into the Gryffindor common room. Since it was so crowded I just sat down in one of the squishy armchairs. I wanted to avoid getting into the big crowd. Hermione jumped in after the two boys.

"Brilliant!" yelled Lee. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years-"

"Good for you," said a random older boy.

"Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh?" asked Fred Weasley. Ron's face turned scarlet, but he was smiling. Harry looked uneasy. He then nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in a certain direction. I turned to see who they were looking at. It was Percy, who looked unhappy.

"Got to get upstairs- bit tired," said Ron. He and Harry started pushing past the crowd to get toward the door on the other side of the room.

"Night," Harry called to Hermione, who looked just as unhappy as Percy.

"Who were they?" I asked Hermione.

"Who?" she wondered.

"Seamus and Lee," I replied.

"Oh, just Seamus Finnigan and Lee Jordan," she replied. "They're two Gryffindors. They spend a lot of time in the common room, so you might get to know them better." I nodded.

In a few minutes Ginny and I went over to the other side of the room- the one that Ron and Harry ran to. We opened the door. Then there were a ton of different staircases. Some that led to nothing, some that stood still, and even some that changed position in midair!

"Okay, let's see," said Ginny. "Let me see if Tom has any idea about where our dormitory is."

"Do you really think _Tom_ will know?" I wondered.

"I _do_," Ginny pointed out. She wrote some things down in the diary. Within minutes she said, "That way!" She pointed over at a staircase that was moving. "If we run up the stairs quickly, we can make it to our room!" So she started running over to the stairs. I followed her. We just made it to the room before the stairs started moving again. "Whew, that was close," she said.

"Sure was," I agreed. Ginny opened the door. There were three other girls in the room too. One of them had dark eyes, straight dark hair, and glasses. The next one had wavy chestnut hair. The last one had dirty blond hair. They looked up at us.

"Excuse me, girls," Ginny began, "but is this also the room for Amy Sellick and Ginny Weasley?"

The girl with glasses looked at a sheet of paper on one of the walls. "Let me see," she said. "Alright. It says Veruca Ambry, Madeleine Meander (that's me), Amy Sellick, Florence Tolliver, and Ginny Weasley. So yes."

When we took a seat next to them Veruca, the one with chestnut hair, smiled at me. "Good thing we're not in Hufflepuff, eh?" she said. Then I just remembered _she_ was the one who bashed Hufflepuff earlier. I just nodded casually.

"Well look around, girls!" said Madeleine. "Don't just stand there! This room is _gorgeous_!" So Ginny and I looked around. It was a circular room (kind of like the Gryffindor common room) with five four-poster beds with red velvet curtains, and narrow windows. All of the things we needed (like our owls and books) were at the end of our beds.

"Wow, it _is_ amazing," I said.

"We knew you'd like it," said Florence.

"Took you two long enough," Veruca told Ginny and I in her harsh, cockney accent. "Now we're tired and we just want to get some sleep." She hopped into one of the beds and quickly drifted off to sleep.

"Well good night," I said to Ginny. I went into the bathroom and changed into my pajamas. When I came back out I went into my four-poster bed and slept.

............

Author's Note: So Amy got what she wanted. She's a Gryffindor, even though she could have belonged in all _four_ of the houses! She has some friends already, so she's not alone. This year seems like it's going by perfectly so far, but it's only the first day so you can never be too sure. There are still dangers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry up ahead. When this happens it's a good thing not to be Muggle-born, but it's also a good thing to keep your guard.


	3. Student Life

Author's Note: Review - Amy has been selected in the Gryffindor house at Hogwarts. She has some friends already, including Ron Weasley's younger sister Ginny. Amy might have made an enemy with bratty kid Draco Malfoy though. She hopes she doesn't get too overwhelmed because her dad _is_ famous, but next to Harry Potter she probably won't be noticed at all. Or will she? Maybe in her year. Looks like Gryffindor has its share of celebrities.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

3. Student Life

The next morning there was breakfast being held in the Great Hall. There were tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon. The enchanted ceiling was a dull, cloudy gray. The enchanted ceiling often resembled the sky. Harry and Ron sat down by Hermione, Ginny, and me. Hermione was reading _Voyages with Vampires _by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Morning," Hermione told the two boys stiffly.

"Good morning, Harry! Ron!" said a round-faced boy named Neville Longbottom. Ginny told me about him. She said Ron told her he was accident-prone and had a terrible memory. "Mail's due any minute- I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot," said Neville. Then there was a rushing sound overhead and about a hundred owls flew around, dropping letters and packages over all of us. A large package bounced off of Neville's head.

I got a letter from Dad.

Dear my darling Amy,

Your mum and I miss you very much even though it is just your first day. I had another meeting with Cornelius Fudge last night and he tells me he wishes you a merry first day of school too. I am very happy though that you are out of that wretched Muggle school (ew, right?). Write back soon and tell us which house you are in!

Love, Filbert Sellick (or just Dad)

All of a sudden something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug. Milk and feathers sprayed everywhere.

"_Errol_!" Ron exclaimed, pulling the owl out by its feet. Errol lay limp on the table, its legs in the air and a wet red envelope in its beak. "Oh no-"

"It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, poking Errol gently with her finger.

"It's not that- it's _that_." Ron was pointing to the red envelope. Neville looked just as terrified as Ron did.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"She's- she's sent me a Howler," Ron said quietly.

"You'd better open it, Ron," whispered Neville. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and- it was horrible." He gulped.

"What's a Howler?" said Harry. I didn't blame him.

"Open it; it'll all be over in a few minutes," Neville said as smoke started coming out from the corners of the envelope.

Ron's hand shook as he took the envelope from Errol's beak and slit it open. Neville plugged his ears with his fingers. Then I knew why. The letter sounded as if it exploded; there was a loud roar filling the Great Hall, causing dust to come down from the ceiling.

"-STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE-"

"Who is that?" I asked Ginny.

"Mum," Ginny replied, her face scarlet. She buried it in her arms in shame.

The silverware on the table started rattling. Mrs. Weasley's voice echoed off the stone walls. Everyone in the entire hall - even the Slytherins - were turned around to see who had the Howler. Ron sank low in his chair so we could only see his crimson forehead.

"-LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD HAVE BOTH DIED!

"-ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED-YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

Next there was a ringing silence. The red envelope dropped out of Ron's hand and burst into flames. It then turned into ashes. Ron stood perfectly still and didn't say a thing. People started laughing, but soon enough people forgot and went on again talking about what they were talking about before.

"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you-" Hermione began.

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.

"I'm sorry about your dad, Ginny," I told her.

"It's alright," she replied. "Thank you though."

"Don't forget, Ginny, it's _your_ mum too," Ron pointed out.

"She knows that," I assured him.

"Well good," said Ron. "I need to share the embarrassment with somebody else."

"What about Fred and George?" I wondered.

"Oh, they wouldn't be embarrassed over this," Ron assured me, slowly sitting up again. "They'll just have a good laugh over it instead."

Soon enough my first class was going to begin. It was called Potions, and it was with Professor Severus Snape. "Snape?" I said to Hermione. "Who's he?"

"Oh," Hermione said with a shudder. "You have him _first_?" I nodded. Then she continued, "Good luck." She ran away to her first class, which was Herbology.

I was looking for Snape's class, which was in the dungeon, just like the Slytherin common room and dormitories. When I finally got close to the door I tripped and fell. Then a large group of older students started laughing. I turned around to see who they were. One of them was Draco, and he was with five others. Two of them were very big and fat boys, one of them was the pug-faced girl I saw at King's Cross Station, the next one was a tall and gaunt black boy, and the last one was a lanky boy with long hair and a long nose.

"Well, Sellick, looks to me as if you've _fall_e_n_ for Professor Snape!" Draco quipped. "Well see you later!"

"Hope you have a nice _trip_!" added the long-nosed boy. Just before the six of them were going to leave someone came out of the door I fell in front of. It was the man I saw last night with the greasy black hair, hooked nose, and sallow skin.

"Malfoy," he began, "Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Zambini, and Quagmire. If you don't leave now I will assign detention for each and every one of you, even though I _do_ hate giving detentions to students from my own house. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor Snape!" Draco replied. His eyes were begging, as if he had a great amount of respect for Snape.

"Then _leave_," Snape demanded in his low, cold voice. The six second years scrambled to their feet and ran to their next classes.

"Thank you, Professor Snape," I said.

"You're welcome, Ms. Sellick," he replied, not smiling at all. He went back into his classroom. "I understand Potions _is_ your first class and that is with _me_ inside _this _classroom so you might just want to come in before you're late and I'll have to deduct some points from Gryffindor." I walked in the room. Snape looked down at me. The two ends of his mouth curled up into a wicked smile. "Perfect," he said. "Now take a seat."

I sat down in a seat next to Ginny Weasley. All Gryffindors had classes together so that's why she was in my class too. "What are we doing?" I asked her. She shrugged.

Snape stepped to the front of the class. "Alright, class," he said. "I will start by taking role." I woke up again when he said my name. "Amy Sellick?"

"Huh?" I replied. He said the next name very quickly so he didn't have to answer me; everyone was just laughing at me.

"Ginny Weasley?" he asked.

"Here!" she replied. Ginny seemed so perfect. She made no mistakes. When I was thinking about this, I was awoken from my thoughts again. "I know what we're doing!" she exclaimed in a whisper, tapping me on the shoulder.

"What is it?" I whispered very quietly.

"Quiet," said Snape. Blimey, I thought I was quiet enough for him _not_ to hear me! Ginny and I just exchanged 'I'm-not-liking-this-man-so-far' kinds of looks. "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Snape began. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will believe this is magic. Id don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

I had a feeling that he had said this every year to his new classes. Again, I was going to doze back off into thought until my name was called.

"Sellick," said Snape. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Um…" I began in thought.

"Well…?" he said. I felt like he was mocking me.

"Is it a…death potion?" I asked. I heard snickers from everyone in the room, except from Ginny. Some students even gasped humorously.

"Close, Ms. Sellick, but not close enough," Snape replied. "Miss Meander?"

"It creates a fatally powerful sleeping potion, also known as the Draught of Living Death, Professor Snape," my glasses roommate Madeleine pointed out.

"That is…correct," Snape said, his voice cold and a bit sour. Then he slowly said, "Five points for Gryffindor." Everyone on the Gryffindor side of the room - including me - either whispered _Yes _or exchanged high fives with others. "Quiet, or I'll take them away," Snape threatened. He didn't seem to fancy Gryffindors much.

"Today I'm going to have you mix up a simple potion to cure boils," Snape announced. We all began to weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs. Ginny and I paired up to do the experiment.

"Do you understand it?" I asked her.

"Tom says here," she began, looking in Tom Riddle's diary that she was hiding in her arms, "that you're supposed to stew horned slugs, create clouds of acid green smoke, and some sort of _hissing_." She emphasized the word _hissing_ and made a face. "_Hissing_?" she repeated.

"I'm not sure," I pointed out.

"Girls," said Snape. Then we realized he was staring down at us. "Clearly you do _not_ understand the assignment. Perhaps I should have explained it more thoroughly. Perhaps I am not teaching you well enough."

"Yes, sir," I said quickly. He seemed to take offense from it.

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" When I didn't answer he folded his hands behind his back and started walking in circles. "I would expect for you to be more respectful, Ms. Sellick. Like your father."

"You. Know. Him?" I asked with a gulp.

"Oh, yes," Snape replied. "He was a student here when _I_ was a student at Hogwarts. But now I can see there are many differences between the two of you. Now class is dismissed."

"What was that all about?" Ginny asked me when we were walking to our next class.

"Oh, that?" I said. "That was nothing. Apparently Professor Snape knew my dad in school."

"That would be _embarrassing_," Ginny muttered.

"It's not that bad," I disagreed. Even though I wasn't sure if it was or not. Was Snape okay with my dad? Did he hate his guts? Of course I would never find out. Snape was much too mysterious and would probably bite my head off if I dared to ask him.

My next class was Professor Sprout's, Herbology. It didn't sound the most interesting to me, but it was a class we had to take. Besides, it was much more interesting than classes in an old Muggle school.

"Alright, class," said Professor Sprout, walking in circles in the garden. "As you all know I am Professor Sprout. Today we are only going to talk about certain types of mold and fungi. We'll get more interactive with fungi later in the semester."

I didn't say anything, but I secretly, silently groaned to myself. Mold and fungi? Was that even safe? Let's just say I wasn't used to magic.

The class after that was Transfiguration with the head of our Gryffindor house, Professor McGonagall. We didn't do much. We were just learning how to turn matches into needles. After that we had History of Magic. It was taught by a ghost named Professor Binns. Ginny told me that he often got names and dates mixed up, so you would need to remember them for tests but not take them to heart. They weren't always real.

Then we had Charms with Professor Flitwick. He was the very tiny one who looked part-Goblin. He stood up on a bunch of books to see over his desk. He was teaching us about some different ways to wave your wand.

When Charms was over it was time for Defense Against The Dark Arts, the class I was kind of looking forward to. It was being taught by Gilderoy Lockhart, who was very much a celebrity. He gave us a dramatic entrance, walking down the steps in the Defense Against The Dark Arts room. Several portraits of himself were hanging on the walls, flashing their teeth at us and admiring themselves in mirrors.

Lockhart was holding up a copy of his latest book 'Magical Me'. He was flashing his white smile on the cover also. "Me," he said, pointing to it, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of the _Witch's Weekly _Most-Charming-Smile Award- but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by _smiling_ at her!" He looked at us to see if we were going to laugh. Some of us just smiled weakly at him to encourage him.

"I think he's charming," I said to Ginny. "A bit ditsy, but charming."

"_Charming_?" Ginny repeated in shock. "And I suppose you think he's _handsome_ too?"

"A bit," I admitted.

She rolled her blue eyes. "Amy," she began. "I don't think he's just a bit _ditsy_. I think he's utterly _conceited_! There's a difference between not knowing much and coming off charming, and being in love with yourself, Amy."

"How are you so sure?" I wondered.

"There's also a difference between _knowing_ you can teach and loving yourself so much you _think _you can teach," Ginny added.

Oh, forget her. I liked Lockhart and her opinion wasn't going to change my mind. Besides, conceit was a _good_ quality. It was _confidence_. And confidence is definitely a good thing.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books- well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about- just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in." When he passed out test papers almost every girl in the class sighed in love. I could tell that he probably had a lot of fans- _girl_ fans. "You have thirty minutes- start- _now_!"

The paper read: _1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

_2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

_3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

About forty minutes later the last student finished their test and Lockhart collected the papers. He rifled through them in front of the class. "Tut, tut, tut, you should have remembered I said my favorite color in _Year With The Yeti_. It's lilac. And none of you remembered that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions!"

"Not so secret anymore," a boy whispered to his friend. His friend snickered.

"How much time do we have left?" Lockhart asked to particularly _no one_. "Let's see, um- oh, dear! We've only five minutes to spare! Do we have enough time? Yes, I think we have just the right amount-"

"Who _is_ he talking to?" Ginny said to me.

"Himself," I replied. Obviously.

Lockhart went behind his desk and lifted a large, covered object onto it. "Now be warned!" he began. "It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

"What is _so_ frightening?" Ginny asked me. I didn't answer.

"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart, placing his hand on the cover. "It might provoke them." He waited for the class to hush. Then he threw off the cover. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."

"Are they very dangerous?" a girl shouted out.

"You can never be too sure," Lockhart answered in a low voice. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!" The pixies were shocking blue with pointed faces and high, shrill voices. They were rattling the bars of the cage and making strange faces at people.

"Mr. Lockhart!" said a boy, raising his hand.

"Yes, Chauncey?" Lockhart replied.

"Five minutes are up," Chauncey replied. "Time to go." I saw the frightened expression on the boy's face. He must have been relieved that the minutes were up, because Lockhart was just about to let the pixies out of the cage.

"Oh, _dear_!" Lockhart exclaimed in exasperation. "I'll just have to save the excitement for my class after lunch! Time to eat, children!"

I followed Ginny to the Great Hall. We sat with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and their friends again. The whole entire time I couldn't talk to Ginny because she was writing to Tom Riddle again.

"Get those out of my sight!" Ron barked at Hermione. He was referring to the perfect coat buttons she produced in her Transfiguration class.

"Why does it bother you so much?" she wanted to know.

"Yes, _why_, Ron?" asked Hermione's best friend, a golden-haired girl named Carly Perry.

"She's a show off," Ron pointed out, glaring at Hermione.

Hermione laughed. "You don't think that, Ronald," she said. "You're just jealous because you could barely transfigure your beetle into a single rotten egg!"

"What've we got this afternoon?" Harry asked. I could tell he was trying to change the subject.

"Defense Against The Dark Arts," Hermione replied quickly.

"_Why_," demanded Ron, snatching Hermione's schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"

Hermione snatched it back, blushing like mad.

"I already had Defense Against The Dark Arts," I said quietly. I decided to start a conversation, for _once_. I knew that they all thought I was quiet and I wanted to change their opinions.

"Really?" Hermione said quickly. "What was it like?"

"Don't answer that, please," Ron begged me.

"Wasn't much," I said, ignoring Ron. "We just took a difficult test and then he didn't even get to open a cage of pixies."

"D-d-did you say p-p-p-pixies?" Neville wanted to know. I nodded. "Oh, no!" he said hopelessly.

"What was the test about?" asked Hermione.

"Himself," I replied. "All of the answers are in his books."

"Good," said Hermione. "Because I read them all _seven times each_!"

"You're mental, Hermione," Ron muttered.

"The thing about pixies," Harry began, looking at me, "what was that all about? Not even being able to open a cage of pixies?"

"He wanted to let pixies fly around for an assignment," I replied. "But then he ran out of time."

"Are you sure he could _really_ handle pixies?" Ron wondered.

"Of course he could, Ron," said Hermione, rolling her big brown eyes. "He's _Gilderoy Lockhart_."

When lunch was over we all went outside in the courtyard. The sky was heavily overcast. We all stood around for a few minutes. I listened to Ron and Harry talk about Quidditch. Just then we all noticed the small mousy-haired boy that had been called Colin Creevey at the Sorting Ceremony was staring at Harry with complete focus. He was holding a Muggle camera; it looked just like the one my mum had. His face turned bright red.

"All right, Harry? I'm- I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking an unsure step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think- would it be all right if- can I have a picture?" He raised the camera, smiling insecurely.

"A picture?" Harry repeated. His expression was blank so I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"So I can prove I've met you," Colin replied.

Harry laughed. "Well, I'm not sure…"

Colin turned his attention away from Harry and stared right at me. "Hey, are you Amy Sellick?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, confused.

"We're in the same year, you know," he pointed out. "Both in Gryffindor. I know about your father. Wasn't he the spy who was delivering the news to the Ministry that You-Know-Who was going off killing people? You know, the night that Harry's parents died?"

"I guess-" The moment I said this he flashed his camera right up in my face. Startled, I made a face. I just knew I'd look terrible in the picture.

"That is _amazing_!" he exclaimed. Then he turned his attention back to Harry. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right position, the _pictures'll_ move.

"It's _amazing_ here, isn't it?" he said, sighing. "I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, so he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you!" He had a hopeful look on his face. "Maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next you? And then, could you sign it?"

"_Signed photos_? You're giving out _signed photos,_ Potter?" Draco asked in his loud, severe voice. He was standing behind little Colin. He was surrounded by Crabbe and Goyle, the two large boys who laughed at me earlier. "Everyone line up!" Draco announced. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"

"No, I'm not," Harry snapped, clenching his fists. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"You're just jealous," Colin pointed out to Draco.

"_Jealous_?" Malfoy repeated. Now half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself." This made Crabbe and Goyle snicker for some reason.

"Leave him alone, Draco," I said, glaring up into Draco's icy blue eyes.

Draco scoffed. "Why, Sellick?" he wanted to know. "_You_ should be giving out signed photos _too_! For your foolish father! I don't even know _why_ my father hangs out with that oaf!"

"You don't think he's an oaf!" I argued. "You even said it yourself; I should have been in Slytherin! Because I'm a Sellick! That the Sellicks come from a long line of powerful witches and wizards! That only the _greatest_ belong in Slytherin!"

"I didn't say _that_, you little dog!" Draco snapped at me. "And if I did it was only _partly_ true! Because your Muggle mother ruined _everything_!"

If I wasn't so sad I would have asked him why he didn't like my father then, but tears were welling up in my olive eyes. First he insulted my dad _and_ my mum! Then he called me a _dog_! Was I really a _dog_?

"Don't listen to him," said Harry, touching my arm lightly.

"Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily.

"Be careful, Weasley," Draco said cruelly. "You don't want to start any trouble or your mummy'll have to come and take you away from school." Then he mimicked Ron's mother, "_'If you put another toe out of line'_-" Then a bunch of Slytherins laughed loudly. "Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," said Malfoy with a smirk. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house!"

Ron held his bent wand in the air but Hermione put down _Voyages With Vampires_, which she had been reading on a stone step. "Look out!" she said.

"What's all this, what's all this?" came Gilderoy Lockhart's voice. He was striding over. I didn't want him to see the tears streaming down my face. Through my watery eyes I could see he was wearing turquoise robes, the polar opposite of Snape's black robes. Since he was coming though I knew he was probably going to say something extremely important. But when he opened his mouth to speak he said, "Who's giving out signed photos?"

Harry tried to answer but Lockhart grabbed him firmly around the shoulders and thundered merrily, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry!"

Harry's face turned bright red. Draco and his friends were smirking.

"Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A double portrait, can't do better than that, and we'll _both_ sign it for you. And what about Ms. Sellick, here? She can sign it too." I looked at him quickly but then hid my face with my hair again. "See? She's crying! She feels all overwhelmed because she knows this is truly an amazing, historical moment in wizard history!"

My face turned bright red next. Draco shot me a cruel smile.

"I thought you didn't know who I was, Professor Lockhart," I said, still hiding behind my hair.

"I didn't," he replied. "But then I overheard Mr. Creevey here. Your father sounds like a truly outstanding man." Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. This made me feel a little better. _Lockhart_ complimenting _my_ father. And Draco was upset. "Come, Amy," said Lockhart, opening the arm that wasn't gripping Harry's shoulders. "A _triple_ portrait!"

Wobbling, I moved towards Lockhart. I did nothing as I let him put his arm around my shoulders. I might have enjoyed it if he hadn't squeezed me so tight; I felt as if I was going to suffocate. Colin's hands shook as he took the picture. The bell rang, letting us know that the afternoon classes were starting.

"Off you go, move along there," Lockhart said to everyone. Then he let go of me in a sort of rude way, but he was still grasping onto Harry. He was taking him to Hogwarts with him, although I was sure Harry could walk by himself.

Hermione walked up to me. "I'm really sorry about what Draco said, Amy," she said. "I don't think you deserved that."

"You didn't," Ron agreed, assuring me. _"Malfoy's _the dog."

I giggled, even though I wasn't as happy as I seemed. "Well now I know why his last name is _Mal_foy."

"Why is that?" asked Hermione.

"Because _Mal- _means bad," I pointed out. And it was true.

Nothing really special happened for the next few days, until there was Quidditch practice. Of course I didn't keep up with the rules of Quidditch (I just knew some terms like Keeper, Seeker, Snitch, Chaser, Bludger, etc.). Ginny asked me if I wanted to come, but I didn't. I was still angry at Malfoy because of what he said and I wasn't going to get over it that easily. Maybe I would have if I didn't like him. But I had a bad feeling I _did_ like him.

It was strange; _me_! A good little Gryffindor girl! Liking _Malfoy_. A bad Slytherin boy. And rumor had it that Malfoy was going to be the new Seeker for Slytherin. If I went I would have to see him. People cheering his name…well, the _Slytherins_, for that matter.

Ginny came back to the dormitory and told me about some pretty interesting things that happened at the practice. First she told me that Malfoy called Hermione a filthy little Mudblood and then Ron got angry so he tried to make Malfoy barf slugs with his wand, but since it was bent it backfired. She said Ron had been belching slugs for a while now; a nasty hex.

In the blink of an eye it was October. Ginny had a cold (that she caught from Veruca Ambry) so she had to stay at Madam Pomphrey(the nurse)'s for about a week. The whole entire week was very awkward because I didn't know Florence, Veruca, nor Madeleine nearly as much as I knew Ginny so I didn't talk to them much. I knew they were thinking I was antisocial and strange because of this.

But Ginny came back - eventually - and she told me all about the Pepperup Potion. It sounded dreadful. Smoke would come out of the drinker's ears. I could just imagine smoke coming out of her ears; next to her fiery red hair it would look like her head was on fire!

A Saturday afternoon before Halloween I was on my way to lunch. Then two tall, hunched figures came out from behind me. They had ugly, skeletal faces, long fingernails, and long purple hair. At first I thought they were ghosts, but the ghosts wouldn't normally terrify the students…would they? I just stood there, stiff, like a statue.

"Well, well, well, it's pretty little Amy Sellick!" one of them cooed in a dark, cold voice.

"Indeed it is!" the other one agreed. He started limping over towards me. "Stay right there, lovey! We won't hurt you!" When he said this the blood drained from my face.

"Fred!" called Ginny's voice. "George! Enough of it! This is probably the fifteenth student you scared today!"

"Aw, Ginny, you're no fun," said Fred, taking off his mask.

"Yea," said George, taking off his too. "Halloween is coming in five days."

"Look at the state of her!" Ginny demanded, pointing to me. "Apologize at once!"

"You sound like Mum," said Fred.

"_Now_!"

"We're sorry, Amy," they both said at once.

"It's alright," I assured them. Then all of us went in the Great Hall. Fred and George started towards Lee Jordan, who was also wearing a frightening mask.

"I'm so sorry, Amy," said Ginny. "Really I am. They embarrass me, you know. Always trying to play pranks on people."

"It's alright, Ginny," I assured her. "It is. I think they're only trying to be friendly."

"They are," said Ginny. "But in a not-so-friendly seeming sort of way."

I was out late that night because I had forgotten the password to the Gryffindor common room after taking a long bathroom break and everyone else was in their dormitories. I was trying to go back to my dormitory, but I saw Nearly Headless Nick floating above me. He was staring out the window, muttering things. He was wearing a feather hat on his long curly hair and a tunic with a ruff. He appeared to be just as pale and smoky colored as the sky outside.

"Hello," I said.

He looked down at me. "Why hello, Ms. Sellick!" he exclaimed. His smile was weak though. He was upset.

"What's wrong?" I wanted to know. "You look troubled."

"Oh, it's of no importance…not that much of a bother," he replied, looking out the window again. "I don't mind…not much, do I. It's just the Headless Hunt anyway." His voice was cracking.

"The Headless Hunt?" I replied, making a face.

"I thought I would fit the requirements," he began, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a letter. "I was hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe in life, you know."

"Yes," I agreed, not wishing to imagine.

"Nobody wants it as I do," he pointed out with a sniff. "I _wish_ it would have actually come off. Would have saved me a lot of pain."

"May I?" I asked, putting out my hand. I wanted to read the letter. He gave it to me. I read out loud, "'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore." When I was done reading this Nick was blowing his nose into tissues like mad.

"Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Amy!" he cried. "Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore!" Then he snatched the letter and stuck it back into his pocket.

"It isn't _that_ bad, Nick," I assured him. "You mustn't be _that _upset."

_Meow_!

............

Author's Note: Gee, I wonder what the _Meow_ was for! So far Amy is having a good year, except for the fact that Draco Malfoy is such a jerk. She still isn't sure whether she really likes him or not. Halloween is coming soon so she should be able to forget about her problems. Tell me what you think! Do you like this story? If you do, please write reviews! I like it so far! I hope you feel the same way!


	4. Ghosts, Parties, And Writings

Author's Note: Review - Amy gets to spend a little more time with her newest friends Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. They have to listen to the ramblings of bratty Draco Malfoy and endure it together. They each have mixed opinions about the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart. Is he really what everyone thinks he is? Is he really a hero, or is he just a fraud? Well if you're a _Harry Potter _fan then you probably will know! But Amy definitely doesn't!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

4. Ghosts, Parties, And Writings

_Meow_!

"What was that?" I asked, frozen. I knew it was Halloween, but I just never liked cats. They kind of scared me. Hopefully this was just another prank of Fred and George's. But typically it wasn't. Instead it was a bony gray cat with lamp-like yellow eyes. It started rubbing against my ankles. I didn't move a muscle.

"I would run if I were you, Amy," Nick said quietly. "It's Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. Filch isn't in a good mood. He's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five. He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you out of bed this late-"

I already started running. But then Filch, the caretaker, jumped out from a tapestry, holding a candle in his hand. Unfortunately, I screamed. There was a tartan scarf around his head and his nose was very purple.

"Out after hours, are we, now?" he asked. I almost wanted to laugh because his voice was so stuffy. "Well I never! Follow me, miss!" He started walking off with the candle in his hand. I almost wanted to cry. I never had detention in my _life, _and I never dealt with caretakers either! And just because I wanted to use the bathroom! I turned around and saw Nick shrugging at me. I groaned and followed Filch.

Next thing I knew I was in Filch's office. It was windowless and dim, and depressing to the point it might make you mad. There was an oil lamp dangling from the low ceiling though. I could smell fried fish. There were wooden filing cabinets everywhere, that represented every pupil Filch had ever punished. I could tell because I saw two with the labels 'Fred Weasley' and 'George Weasley'. It pained me to know that I would probably be getting one next.

Then I noticed a highly polished dozen of chains and manacles hanging on the wall behind Filch's desk. I heard rumors before that Filch had begged Dumbledore for years that he could suspend students by their ankles from the ceiling. I gulped, hoping he wouldn't try anything funny like that on me tonight.

Filch grabbed a quill from a pot on his desk and then immediately grabbed parchment that had been next to it. "Aha!" he exclaimed. I guessed that maybe he had misplaced the parchment before and that he moved it to his desk so he'd remember where it was in the future. But that was just a guess.

"What is that for, sir?" I asked, trying to be friendly and striking up a conversation. I didn't expect much back from him though.

"Ah, it's where we write down your punishment, yes!" he replied, sitting down at his desk. He sneezed because his quill pen accidentally brushed against his nose. "Dung, great sizzling dragon bogies, frog brains, rat intestines, mud and befouling the castle…I'm done!" He started writing on the parchment. "_Name_…?"

"Veruca Ambry," I lied. Sure, Veruca was my roommate, but I didn't like her very much. She was snooty and kind of rude.

"_Crime_…wandering around the castle after hours!"

"I couldn't remember the password, sir!" I explained.

"Quiet, girl!" he snapped at me. His nose was leaking- not a very pleasant sight. "_Suggested sentence_…"

"To be the first to return to my dorm each night, sir?" I requested. "I promise I'll never be out late again!"

"No, that's much too soft," Filch muttered, his bloodshot eyes staring up at the ceiling in thought. "Ah! I got it! Since I see you're such a night owl, how about you help me clean up after hours? You know, rid of the muck all you savages leave around the castle! I am so clever! You agree, Mrs. Norris?"

"Meow!" Mrs. Norris replied. I didn't even realize that the scrawny cat was sitting on her owner's lap the whole time. Then she started purring.

"That's right, purr away, my sweet," said Filch, scratching his cat between the ears. I was slightly disturbed. "What say you?"

"Huh?" I asked, just realizing he was speaking to me now.

"You dare disrespect me!" he snapped, getting up from his seat. I could see he was holding a beating stick in his hand. "It's a shame they got rid of the old punishments!" Just as I was going to take off and run, I heard a loud noise. BANG! "PEEVES!" Filch roared. "Not again! Always when I'm trying to punish a student, eh? First Potter, now Miss Ambry?!"

"Potter?" I repeated.

"I'll have you _this_ time, I swear, Peeves!" Filch called, looking around furiously. Then he left, Mrs. Norris following him out.

Then all of a sudden, Peeves the Poltergeist flew in, wearing his typical grin. "Peeves!" I groaned. I didn't like Peeves much, but I was grateful for his timing. He winked at me and then started after Filch and his cat.

I just stood there for the next ten minutes, participating in a mental battle whether I should leave or not. But Filch could have came back any time then and if he'd seen me run I could have been in _worse_ trouble, or better- Veruca Ambry. So I stayed. But after ten minutes he didn't return so I started out, but then I heard his voice.

"He should be off now, my sweet," he said to Mrs. Norris. "Mark my words, he won't try to mess with us after this. Not after I threatened him with the Poltergeist Fighting Curse."

He wasn't exactly back yet, so I ran. Soon enough I heard him calling after me. So I ran back to the Gryffindor corridor.

"Amy! Amy! Are you alright?" said Nearly Headless Nick. "Did it work? I persuaded Peeves to interrupt your detention session! Did it work out?"

"Thank - you - Nick," I said, catching my breath.

"You're welcome," he replied. "I had to help Harry Potter too, not too long ago. He was about, mucking up the castle. He was playing Quidditch, that's why."

That was probably why Filch mentioned the mud and befouling the castle.

"I'm sorry about the Headless Hunt," I said, to be nice.

"Oh, no matter," said Nearly Headless Nick. "Halloween is my five hundredth deathday."

"I'm sorry," I told him.

"Oh, no!" he replied. "That's alright! I'll be holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. I'll have friends coming from all over the country. It would be such an _honor_ if you could attend. Harry is coming too, and I'm sure Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger would wish to come. But that's only if you would rather attend the school feast?"

I thought about it. The school feasts were fun, and I'm sure they would be extremely fun on Halloween, filled with colorful candies and cakes, but Harry was going and he could convince Ron and Hermione to go too. This was a way I could get to know the three of them better, since they were a grade above me.

"I would love to," I assured him.

"Thank you," said Nick. Then he gave me the password and I was able to return to my dormitory. I was careful not to wake my roommates.

Halloween came soon. I was a little hesitant to go to the Deathday party, but I talked it over with Ron, Harry, and Hermione. The Great Hall sounded beautiful though and I was upset to miss it. Hagrid's vast pumpkins would be carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in. That sounded amazing, but I could have done without the live bats and the rumored troupe of dancing skeletons.

When Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were walking to the roomy dungeon I asked to stop. "Carry on without me," I said. "My feet hurt. I just need to rest."

"We can wait with you," Hermione offered.

"No, I'm quite alright," I assured her. "I just need to rest. Don't want to slow you down."

"Wow," said Ron, starting off. "Girls are so fickle. First they want something, then they don't want it. First they want to walk, then they don't want to walk."

"That's because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon, Ronald," Hermione pointed out in response. Harry laughed. I watched as they left.

But Ron was right. The reason I asked to stop was because I wasn't sure I really wanted to attend this party. I didn't really want to attend something so depressing, eerie, and dead. Let me just say ghosts were _not_ my favorite part about Hogwarts. Especially when they were all _together_.

About seven minutes later when I decided to pick up my feet again, a tall, handsome boy with blue grey eyes and chiseled features walked by. He smiled down at me. Then he said, "Hello."

I was so confused the words barely came out of my mouth: "Uh…h-h-hi!" I wasn't sure if he heard me. I think it only came out in a whisper.

As the boy left and I tried to get my foot out of the Great Hall, someone grabbed me by the arm. It was Madeleine Meander. "No. Way. That couldn't have _possibly_ happened, could it have, Amy?" she asked, shaking me by my shoulders.

"What?" I wanted to know.

"Cedric Diggory, that's _what_!" she replied. "He's the boy who just said hello to you! He's a fourth year Hufflepuff and he's the most handsome boy in school!"

"Do you know him?"

"No, but everyone talks about him! And he said hello to _you_! Not any of _them_! He might like you! He might want to ask you out!"

"Oh," I said, wearing an uneasy smile on my face. Sure, the boy was cute. But he was a little old for me, so I didn't want to think about dating him just yet.

"If I were you I would make a move," she pointed out, her dark eyes glimmering behind her glasses.

"Madeleine!" a voice called. It belonged to Veruca Ambry. She and Florence Tolliver were walking up to us. They were both wearing matching orange-and-black ribbons in their hair. The sight of it was so cutesy I wanted to vomit.

"Hey, Veruca! Florence!" Madeleine called back. "Guess what! You won't believe it! Cedric Diggory said hi to _Amy_! He might like her!"

"That really doesn't mean he _likes_ me," I disagreed, chuckling uneasily.

"That's amazing!" Florence exclaimed.

"Not really," said Veruca, crossing her arms. "He's probably just saying hello to _her _because she's _famous_. Or maybe just because her father is." I opened my mouth to get back at her but she continued, "Hey, Madeleine, the _main_ reason we came up to you was to tell you that Filch is looking for me and we're trying to avoid him!"

"Filch?" Madeleine replied, making a face. "Why would he be after _you_?"

"Yea!" I pretended to agree. I knew darn well why Filch was after her. "You've _never_ done anything wrong!"

"I know, right?" said Veruca. "Professor McGonagall told me. She said he told her I was up late after hours a few nights ago. No I _wasn't_! Hopefully no one was using Polyjuice Potion to disguise as me in the night to get me in trouble. I have a lot of haters, you know, so I better beware. Luckily my hair doesn't shed."

Just then Ginny Weasley ran by. "Gin!" Florence called. "What's the hurry?"

"Nothing, really!" Ginny replied. "I just have to do a favor for someone!"

"Hopefully it isn't that Tom Riddle she tells me about," said Veruca.

"Yea," said Florence. "Whoever _he_ is."

It made me sick. How Ginny had a relationship with our roommates and I didn't. That's because Ginny was better with people, you know. Except when it came to the mysterious case of Tom Riddle. I liked Madeleine though. She often tried reaching out to me even when Veruca and Florence wouldn't.

"The feast is beginning soon, Amy," said Madeleine. "Care to join us?"

"You know, I would," I began, "but I really have to be somewhere tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." I ran.

"Is she helping Tom Riddle too?" I heard Florence say.

Then I finally found the location of Nick's deathday party. The passageway was decorated with candles, but the effect wasn't very cheerful. They were long, thin, black candles giving off blue light, casting a dim, ghostly light. I felt as if the temperature dropped every step I took. My teeth were chattering. In the distance I could hear sounds that sounded like fingernails scratching a blackboard. Then I supposed these sounds were supposed to make music.

"Welcome, welcome, Amy," said Nearly Headless Nick, standing at the doorway which was hung with black velvet drapes. "Pleased to see you."

I held my breath as I walked into the chilly room. Everywhere I looked there were pale, translucent people floating around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful sounds of musical saws, played by a haunted orchestra. There was a chandelier on the ceiling above me, giving off more dark blue light from more black candles. When I breathed I could see my breath in the air.

On the other end of the dungeon there was a long black table. There was food on it, but it smelled something awful. There were large, rotten fish laid on pretty silver plates, burnt cakes were piled on trays, and several other horrendous dishes. All I wanted to do was find Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Then I did.

"Heard you were talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves' voice. He was speaking to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "_Rude_ you was about poor Myrtle. OI! MYRTLE!"

"Oh, no, Peeves, don't' tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione said quietly, but frantically. Who _was_ Myrtle? Then Hermione continued. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her- er, hello, Myrtle."

Then a ghost of a squat girl with a glum face, lank hair and thick spectacles floated over. "What?" she said miserably.

"How are you, Myrtle?" Hermione asked, smiling uneasily. "It's nice to see you out of the toilet." Myrtle sniffed.

"Miss Granger was just talking about you," Peeves said in Myrtle's ear.

"Just saying- saying- how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, glaring at Peeves. Myrtle looked suspicious.

"You're making fun of me," she said, silver tears streaming down her face.

"No- honestly- didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Harry and Ron in the ribs.

"Oh yeah!" said Harry.

"She did!" Ron lied.

"Don't lie to me," Myrtle cried. Peeves was chuckling happily over her shoulder. "D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"

"You've forgotten pimply," Peeves hissed in her ear.

As Myrtle fled and sobbed with Peeves yelling behind her, "_Pimply! Pimply_!" I ran up to Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

"Hi, guys," I said.

"Hello," they replied, smiling. They were happy to see me.

"Enjoying yourselves?" asked Nearly Headless Nick, gliding over to us.

"Oh, yes," we all lied.

"Not a bad turnout," said Nick. "The Wailing Widow came all the way from Kent…It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra…" Then the orchestra stopped playing their noise. Everyone in the dungeon was silent. "Oh, here we go," said Nick. Next think I knew the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horsemen. Everyone in the room clapped, except for Nick and us.

"I might have to go use the restroom," I pointed out.

"Go," said Nearly Headless Nick. "It would be perfect timing too. Look who decided to crash."

"Then what do you know?" I said, laughing. I got up to leave as a headless man with his bearded head balancing on his neck leaped up to Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

"Live 'uns!" the man said.

As I walked down the hall I could smell blood. Then something caught my eye. It was red, shining, and foot-high. It was words that had been applied on the wall between two windows. It shimmered in the light of the flaming torches. It said THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. Then I looked up and saw Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat hanging by her tail from a torch bracket. She was stiff and her eyes were wide and staring.

Frightened, I ran through the halls. "Professor McGonagall!" I shouted. "Professor McGonagall! Come quick! I think she's dead! Filch's cat!"

Then they were coming; the Halloween feast must have been over. Everyone from the Great Hall was pouring in the hallways. But McGonagall was in the front. "Professor McGonagall!" I said when I saw her. I ran up to her. "I think she's dead!"

"Shhh," said McGonagall. Then she looked up across the hall and saw the cat. "Oh my god!" Then she told me to shush again. "Did you do this? Did you see what happened?"

"No, I did NOT see what happened," I replied in a harsh whisper. "I just saw the words on the wall and then I saw Mrs. Norris-"

"It was Potter," said Snape, in a low, bitter tone. I looked across the hall and could see Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing around the words.

"Trust me, I did _nothing_!" I explained, trying to blink back tears in my eyes.

"No, I know," said Snape, his eyes giving me an assuring look. "I know you Sellicks, Miss Amy. This is something that a _Potter_ would try to pull, not a _Sellick_." He and the other teachers started toward Harry, his friends, and the scene.

"Not a Sellick?" Malfoy spat, walking past me quickly. "Pfft! Yea, right! Could have fooled _me_!" Then he pushed past the crowd and joined the teachers. "Enemies of the Heir, beware!" he said. "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" He gave Hermione an evil look.

"What's going on here?" I could hear Filch yell. "What's going on?" My heart leapt into my throat when I heard him shuffling past me. Then he started shouldering his way through the crowd. Whew, he didn't see me. I was glad I stayed behind. I didn't like standing in large crowds. "My cat!" he cried. "My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?"

"Oh, no," I said to myself. "He's going to think Harry did it." I was right.

"_You_!" he screeched at Harry. "_You_! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"_Argus_!" It was Dumbledore. He went to the front of the crowd to detach Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. I heard a lot of quiet talking, but I couldn't hear any words. Then the crowd parted to let the teachers by. They past me. Just when I was about to forget everything that was happening I woke up.

"Miss Sellick!" called Lockhart. "This is a time to panic! Why are you just lollygagging away from the crowd as if nothing is happening?"

"She isn't lollygagging, Gilderoy," Dumbledore disagreed serenely. He was holding Mrs. Norris in his arms. "She's staying away from the crowds. Smart girl. I'm a claustrophobic too, you know."

I flinched when Filch passed, but he was much too worried about his cat to notice me. Then the teachers left. All of the students around me were gossiping- wondering whether Mrs. Norris had really died or not.

"I think Sellick here is the murderer," Malfoy said to Blaise Zambini and Sidney Quagmire. They snickered. "Why not? _She_ was the one blabbing her mouth off to the teachers. She's just trying to get all buddy-buddy with them so they'll believe her. What a true artist. Should be in Slytherin if she's _that_ clever."

I rolled my eyes and shouted at him, "Shut up, Malfoy!" Then he and his friends cackled.

"Ooh, I'm so scared!" said Malfoy. He marched up to me. "I bet _you_ wrote the words on the wall. I bet the blood came from Mrs. Norris. Why not? Everybody knows about your little detention with Filch on Saturday, Sellick. He still thinks it's that Ambry girl, but Ambry reckons it was you. After all, _you_ were the one up late who couldn't control her bladder and forgot the password to her own house!"

I stormed away as he and his friends cackled even more viciously than before. I ran back to the Gryffindor common room (I remembered the password this time thanks to Nearly Headless Nick the other night). I fell asleep in my dormitory, but woke up briefly because Ginny came in later than everyone else. She told us she was trying to wash paint out of her robes. I fell back asleep again.

After a few days we were having breakfast again. Everything was back to normal, except Filch.

"I can't believe him," said Seamus Finnigan at the Gryffindor table.

"Me neither," agreed Seamus' best friend, a tall, handsome black boy named Dean Thomas. "Just because we were chatting merrily."

"What's this all about?" Ron wanted to know.

"Filch is giving us detention just because we passed him in the hallway, chatting merrily," Dean replied. "He told us he just 'wasn't in the mood'."

"I still can't get over what happened to Mrs. Norris," said Ginny.

"She's still alive, Ginny," Ron pointed out. "Just Petrified."

"I know," said Ginny. "But no cat should have to go through something like that. No matter _who_ they belong to."

"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron pointed out. "Honestly, we're much better off without her." Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking!" Ginny turned pale.

That Wednesday in the common room Ron, Hermione, and Harry were discussing a historical man named Salazar Slytherin, the obvious founder of the Slytherin house. They told me that Professor Binns taught it to them.

"That isn't fair," I pointed out. "I wish he'd teach the first years something interesting for once."

Ron laughed. "It took a lot of obnoxious begging from Hermione here for him to finally give us the information," he pointed out. Hermione frowned. "Actually, it wasn't obnoxious. _Binns_ was the obnoxious one. He was so hesitant to just spill it."

"And don't forget it," said Hermione, crossing her arms.

After a lot of research in the library I was able to find out who Salazar Slytherin was. It all had to do with the Chamber of Secrets, which apparently had been the place where Mrs. Norris had been Petrified.

Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago, but there was no precise date. The four school houses were discovered by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, which they had been named after. They built it together far from prying Muggle eyes in an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution.

The founders worked together in harmony for years, seeking out young children who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. They disagreed a lot, but all of a sudden it became extreme. Slytherin disagreed most among the others. He wished to be more selective of students attending Hogwarts. He believed that only children of all-magic families should be attending. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. Slytherin and Gryffindor argued about the subject, and Slytherin left the school.

These were all facts, but the story of the Chamber of Secrets was only a legend. Apparently there was a hidden chamber in the castle that the three other founders didn't know about. Slytherin sealed the Chamber of Secrets so no one would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to kill off the students who were unworthy to study magic- the Muggle-borns.

Nights later in the common room I sat by Ron, Hermione, and Harry. They were wondering about who the heir of Slytherin could have been.

"Do you think it's someone in the school?" I wondered.

"Probably," Ron replied. "Remember? _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened._"

Harry grunted. "I think I remember it without you saying it again, Ron," he pointed out. Ron slammed his _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 _book shut.

"Who can it be, though?" Hermione wanted to know. "Who'd _want_ to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"

"Let's think," said Ron, wearing a look of mock wonder on his face. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

Malfoy.

"If you're talking about Malfoy-" Hermione began.

"Of course I am!" said Ron. "you heard him- _'You'll be next, Mudbloods!'_-come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him!"

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" Hermione snapped.

"It's a possibility," I pointed out.

"Look at his family," said Harry, closing his books. "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"I know _that's_ right," I agreed. "He's always telling my dad that my mum isn't worthy enough because she's a Muggle."

"See, Hermione?" said Harry. "If that right there isn't enough proof for you I don't know _what_ is!"

"They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son…"

"Well, I suppose it's possible…" Hermione finally admitted.

"But how do we prove it?" Harry asked darkly.

"There might be a way," said Hermione, lowering her voice as she cautiously eyed Percy from across the room. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect-"

"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" Ron asked irritably.

"All right," Hermione said with a sigh. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."

"But that's impossible," Harry said as Ron laughed.

"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

"What's that?" Ron, Harry, and I all asked at once.

"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago-"

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listening to Snape?" muttered Ron.

"It transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."

"Veruca Ambry mentioned Polyjuice Potion recently," I mentioned casually. "She said something about hair…"

"That's right," said Hermione. "You'd need to drink the person's hair to look like them."

"The Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron with a frown. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?"

"It wears off after a while," said Hermione. "but getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called _Moste Potente Potions _and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."

"Hard to see why we'd want that book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."

"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance…"

"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick…"

"Professor Lockhart?" I suggested.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all grinned at once. "Perfect," they said.

That Saturday morning there was going to be a major Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I supposed I would go. I was over Draco Malfoy and since it was so major I didn't want to miss out. I was going to be in the audience with Ginny. We were going to be 'cheerleaders'. Well, not really, but we were going to pretend we were. It was crowded as the whole school started to make its way down the stadium. I could see Lucius Malfoy in the Slytherin stands. I supposed he was trying to cheer his son on- _The New Seeker_.

I sat there, watching the entire game. I didn't know much about what was going on, but I pretended to enjoy it anyway. Whenever a Gryffindor would get a point Ginny and I would jump up in the air and cheer like maniacs. It was all good fun, but the fun didn't last. Soon she left. She told me she would have to 'do someone a favor' again. I was so sick of her obsession with Tom Riddle. She wasn't human when she thought of him, or paid him favors. I wanted her to forget.

I didn't notice much about the game, except for the fact there was a rogue Bludger. I wanted it to stop bothering Harry. I didn't want Slytherin to win; I just couldn't have Malfoy win. I just couldn't stand to look at his father cheering him on in the stands. The sight of it would make me want to vomit.

All of a sudden, though, exactly what I _didn't _want to happen did. WHAM! The Bludger hit Harry in the elbow. Even though that arm must have broke, he took his remaining hand and snatched the Snitch. Soon Harry hit the mud and rolled off his broom. Lockhart ran over to the field. I didn't hear anything, but I saw what was happening. Colin Creevey ran up to them and took a picture.

Next thing I knew Lockhart started twirling his wand and pointed it at Harry's arm. Then appeared the strangest sight! I was far away, but I wasn't far away enough not to know that the bones in Harry's arm had been completely removed! I gasped as I saw Ron, Hermione, and Madam Pomphrey escort Harry off of the field! Was Lockhart really a fraud, just like the teacher Professor Quirrell that had taught Defense Against The Dark Arts the year before? I couldn't believe it; I didn't _want_ to believe it. And what was up with that Bludger? And where was Ginny? And who opened the Chamber? What was coming of Hogwarts?

............

Author's Note: Wow things are really going crazy at Hogwarts! Poor Harry; Skele-Gro is _not_ pleasant! Lol! Amy Sellick is suspicious about what is going on in her new school. She's suspicious about Lockhart, the Bludger, Ginny and Tom Riddle, Salazar Slytherin, and the Chamber of Secrets. Is this going to be the end of Hogwarts? She really hopes not.


	5. Muggleborns

Author's Note: Review - The strangest thing happened on Halloween. After attending the friendly Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party Amy came across strange writings on a wall that read, 'THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE'. Whoever wrote this was probably related to the infamous Salazar Slytherin, but who at Hogwarts could be? Amy and her friends are still yet to find out!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

5. Muggle-borns

That night when I was attempting to return back to the Gryffindor common room I started up the stairs. I saw Colin Creevey, lying on the floor. He had been Petrified too. His eyes were wide and his hands were up in front of him, holding his camera. There were spilled grapes around him.

"Oh my god," I said. "Professor McGonagall!" I called. "Professor McGonagall! Hurry, come quick! You've got to!"

Soon enough Professor McGonagall came by. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed, a frightened expression on her face. Then she looked stern. "Miss Sellick," she said. "Are you _sure_ you had nothing to do with this?"

"I solemnly swear, Professor," I replied honestly. "I was just trying to return to the Gryffindor common room and I saw-"

"I understand, I understand," said Dumbledore's warm voice. I looked up and saw him. "Amy just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, Minerva. We'll turn Colin Creevey in to the hospital wing now. Then I want to have a little talk with Amy in my office."

"Come with us, Miss Sellick," said McGonagall, gesturing for me to follow them. Dumbledore carried Colin by his top half and McGonagall held his feet. I followed them down the stairs and to the hospital wing.

When they finally got there I waited outside. I listened in though. "Get Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore whispered to McGonagall.

"What happened?" Madam Pomphrey whispered to Dumbledore.

"Another attack," Dumbledore replied. "Minerva found him on the stairs." Yea, right. It was _me_. But that really didn't matter at the moment, did it?

"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," added McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."

"Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.

"Yes," said McGonagall. "But I shudder to think…If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate- who knows what might have-" What about me? I was there, wasn't I? Then McGonagall continued. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?"

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey. Then I heard a jet of steam hiss out of the camera. "Melted. All melted…"

"What does this _mean_, Albus?" McGonagall wanted to know.

"It means that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again," Dumbledore replied.

"But, Albus, surely…_who_?"

"The question is not _who_. The question is, _how_…"

Then they lead me to Professor Dumbledore's office. We stopped at the end of the hall in front of a large and hideous stone gargoyle.

"Lemon drop," said Dumbledore. This must have been the password because then the gargoyle came to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in half. Behind the wall there was a spiral staircase that was moving upward, like an escalator. The three of us stepped onto it. The wall thudded closed behind us.

We rose up in circles, higher and higher, until I felt dizzy. I saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker shaped like a griffin. We stepped off of the stone staircase and Dumbledore rapped on the door. The door opened silently.

I was inside Dumbledore's office. It was large, beautiful, and circular. It was filled with funny little noises. There was a number of interesting silver instruments on spindle legged tables, whirring and giving off little puffs of smoke.

The walls were covered with portraits of past headmasters and headmistresses. They all were snoozing in their frames, gentle and serene. There was an enormous, claw-footed desk. On the shelf behind it was the ugly Sorting Hat.

On a golden perch behind the door there was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. It looked ill. I was going to ask about it, but then Dumbledore was no-nonsense.

"Amy," said Dumbledore. "Come over to my desk." He sat down and I went up to him. I hoped I wasn't in trouble. "Amy," he repeated.

"Yes?" I said. I wasn't being rude, but I was very nervous. I really wanted to know what was going on here.

"Are you the one opening the Chamber of Secrets?" he wanted to know.

I felt as if my eyes were going to pop right off my face. "No, sir," I replied honestly. "I don't even know much about it."

"I was just wondering," Dumbledore assured me. Then he leaned in. "Amy, I have to tell you something _very important_," he pointed out. "I ask you not to be alarmed, but here it goes. Your father…he was a Slytherin."

I gasped. I felt a pinch behind my olive eyes. I cried a lot, but I certainly didn't want the headmaster to see me cry. The only thing I could hear was my own heart beating. I couldn't believe it. _Dad_? _Slytherin_?

"It can't be so," I argued. "You can't be serious."

"That's why I was curious."

"Professor Dumbledore," I began, trying to keep my tone polite. "You're the headmaster so you must be very wise, but this you are wrong about. I know my father. He is certainly not Slytherin material."

"He might not be now, Amy," Dumbledore began, "but once upon a time he was. He was powerful and cunning as a boy. He's also a pure-blood. So I was wondering if maybe _you_ were the heir of Slytherin."

"I don't think so, no," I replied.

Snape then entered the room. The room was lit so pale there were shadows upon his gaunt face. "Our meeting, Headmaster?" he asked, trying to be polite.

"Oh, yes, Severus," Dumbledore replied. He turned to me. "You may leave, Amy," he assured me.

"Thank you, Professor." As I left Professor Snape stared down at me, suspiciously. When I was out he looked up at Dumbledore and said, "What was that about? Why was she here?"

"I thought she might have been the heir of Slytherin," Dumbledore began, "but we talked about it and now I'm not so sure anymore."

"Why are you not so sure?" Snape wondered. "It's possible." When he said this anger boiled up inside of me. I went back into the room.

"You're wrong, Severus! I'm _not_ the heir of Slytherin! It is _im_possible! I'm not even _in_ Slytherin!" I cried.

Snape looked startled. I couldn't tell if it was because of the fact I spoke back to him or because I called him by his first name. But I wasn't scared of him, _that_ was for sure.

"Amy, you may return back to your common room," Dumbledore said again, trying to make peace. Embarrassed, I turned around to leave again.

"Good night, Ms. Sellick," I heard Snape call after me. I didn't want to respond, so I pretended that being out the door was an excuse not to. I returned to my dormitory soon enough. But I didn't sleep. _That_ was for sure.

I slept all Sunday to be almost exact. I wasn't feeling all that lively, especially since I was kept up on Saturday night. When Monday came breakfast in the Great Hall was unusual. Normally Colin Creevey would be there every day to flash his camera in Harry's face or my face but not this time. Different kids in my class separated into little groups (like Veruca, Florence, and Madeleine) because they were very much afraid of being attacked by what attacked Colin.

My owl, Silvermist, flew by. He dropped a letter onto the table in front of me. I opened it. It said it was from my dad. He was wishing me a happy school year so far, like always. Since I was too upset at him to reply I didn't. This would startle him because normally I _always_ respond. But that's too plain bad for him. Too plain bad he never told me he was a Slytherin.

"It's kinda sad, really," said Ginny as we were walking to Potions. "I will miss Colin in Charms, won't you, Amy?"

"I will too," I replied, just remembering that Colin sat by us in that class. All of a sudden two people jumped out from behind a portrait. They were dressed up in fur. It was too obvious who they were; they wouldn't fool me again. Especially since they did this almost _every_ day.

"_Gurr_!" they yelled, raising their hands in the air ferociously. "Unassuming, unsuspecting, inferior ickle firsties!"

"Fred and George Weasley," came Percy's voice. He came up from behind them and grabbed them by their ears. "How many times do I have to tell you never frighten Ginny or Amy again?"

"Sorry, Percy, but they're so grumpy!" Fred complained.

"Yea, that's right!" George agreed.

"I swear one of these days I'm going to write Mum and tell her that you're giving Ginny nightmares," said Percy. When he said this his two brothers ran.

In the beginning of November it was my twelfth birthday. It wasn't much; most of my friends were in different classes, so it was just Ginny and me celebrating. My dad sent me things like a card that played music when you opened it, a tiny cake, and more, but of course I didn't thank him or write back to him. And when I could catch my older friends at breakfast or lunch they were much too busy thinking about whatever was attacking the school to pay attention to my special day.

Many of the students snuck devices such as talismans and amulets and many others in the school for protection. That night in the Gryffindor common room we all gathered around Neville, who had brought a large, evil-smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail.

"Neville, honestly, you've _nothing_ to worry about!" Ron explained.

"Yea!" Seamus Finnigan agreed. "You're a pure-blood! Whatever is attacking the students is only going after Muggle-borns!"

"You don't understand," Neville disagreed. "They went for Filch first. And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

Classes were the same for the next few weeks; Snape was still unlikable and unpopular, McGonagall was still stern and strict, Binns was still scant and scatterbrained, and Lockhart was still snobbish and snooty.

During the third week of December in the entrance hall a small group of people had gathered around a notice board. On the board there was a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas looked up at Ginny and I and grinned.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight!"

"You guys have to come," said Dean, winking.

"Sure," I said. Then I looked down at Ginny. "Ginny, would you like to come too?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "Something's telling me I should be going to Hagrid's today, and I might even be there at night…"

"Why?" I wanted to know.

"I don't know," she replied. "I'm doing another favor. Something is telling me I just need to be there."

I grabbed Ginny by the shoulders. "Ginny, snap _out_ of it!" I yelled, not really caring whether Seamus or Dean was watching or not. "Tom Riddle isn't _real_! There's probably just a charm on your diary! Get _over_ it!"

She pulled away from my grasp. "You're lying!" she screamed, her eyes large. I backed away. Within seconds though Ginny's eyes were back to normal. "What just happened, Amy?" she asked me. "You look something awful. Are you frightened? If so, why?"

"I might have to skip going to the meeting later too, Ginny," I replied. "I'm going to Hagrid's with you."

Ginny made a face. "Oh…" she said. "Well, I _was_ going to go on my own, but…I suppose you can go."

"Good," I said. "I'm not letting Tom Riddle rule your life." When I said this she immediately froze. What was wrong with her? Who was Tom Riddle, anyway?

Later that afternoon Ginny and I went to Hagrid's. It was interesting because I had seen Hagrid on campus some times during the year, but I had never actually visited him in his hut before. That was why knowing Ginny was a good thing. She was a social person, unlike me. Whether she knew it or not.

"'Ello, Ginny Weasley," said Hagrid. "Who is yer friend?"

"This is Amy Sellick, Hagrid," Ginny replied.

"O, right, right," he replied. "Hello 'ere, Miss Amy! Heard o' yeh, but ne'er actually got ter meet yeh, no. How've yeh been? What was yer year like?"

"It was good, Hagrid," I pointed out as he let us in through the door. It _was_ only _good_. There wasn't anything exceptional about it so far, no.

"_Good_?" Hagrid repeated. "Just _good_?"

"Right, just that," I said. I looked around. The hut was small and cramped, but also cozy with a fireplace. Then I noticed a large dog in a cage in the back of the hut. It was panting and wagging its heavy tail. Its tongue was hanging out of its mouth and it looked very friendly. "What's his name?" I asked.

"Oh, that's Fang," Hagrid replied. "He loves company. Gets him rowdy, a bit. That's why I got ter keep 'im in his cage." Then he laughed. I laughed too. He was very likeable. He turned to Ginny. "So what was it yeh wanted, Ginny?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see you, Hagrid," she replied, but I could tell from the stiffness of her voice that that was _not_ the real reason. She was just as transparent as Nearly Headless Nick, Peeves, or even that Moaning Myrtle. She was here to do a favor for Tom Riddle and I may never know what it is. Maybe no one ever would.

We talked with Hagrid for what seemed like hours. He was really interesting and kindhearted. It was no wonder he was so close with Dumbledore. Wait…I was angry at Dumbledore. Dumbledore was the one who told me that my dad was in Slytherin, _remember_? When those hours were over though Hagrid told us he had to attend a meeting with Dumbledore.

"That's alright," I assured him. "Ginny and I have somewhere to be too. It's the Dueling Club meeting, although we'd probably come in during the middle…;oh well, though. Better be there for some than none of it at all."

"Actually," Ginny began, "I might just stay here, Hagrid, and watch over your hen coop. I promise I won't bother them. Is that fine by you?"

Hagrid's friendly smile faded. Then he raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "Why's that, Ginny?" he asked.

"Because you need to meet with Dumbledore," Ginny continued, "and Fang can't watch it by himself. So I'm going to save him the trouble."

"Yeh heard o' the _one_, didn'tcha?" Hagrid wanted to know.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "I heard of the rooster that was killed this term. With me around, Hagrid, no fox or Blood-Sucking Bugbear will dare mess with them."

"Well, good!" Hagrid exclaimed cheerfully as if he had never been suspicious. He opened the door to his hut. "Bye, Ginny! Amy! _Brrr_, that's cold!" He closed the door and grabbed some gloves and a moleskin overcoat. He opened the door again.

"Goodbye, Hagrid," Ginny said meekly. Hagrid waved one last time and then left. I turned to Ginny.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to go to the meeting?" I asked her.

"Positive," said Ginny. "I do enjoy the company of animals. It's preferable to the company of people, you know."

That was strange coming out of _Ginny's_ mouth, but I let it go. "Alright," I said. Then I walked out the door. It was very cold, so I grabbed my robes and pressed them against me. I was grateful when I was back inside the castle. It certainly was warm enough.

The Dueling Club meeting was taking action in the Great Hall. I saw Lockhart standing on the stage in his deep plum robes. Next to him I could see black robes. Snape. They were the two instructors, apparently. The Great Hall looked different- the long dining tables had vanished and a golden stage had appeared along the wall.

Students were dueling each other. I could see Malfoy strutting over towards Harry and a burly, beastly girl sneering at Hermione. They were pointing wands at each other. There was a lot of zapping with wands (I was almost glad I came late enough to stand in the background) but soon enough something very strange happened. A long black snake shot out of Malfoy's wand!

The Great Hall was echoing with screams before Lockhart made it so the snake flew ten feet in the air and fell back down to the floor with a loud _smack_! This got it startled, and then it slithered and hissed over at a Hufflepuff student named Justin Finch-Fletchley. Harry started speaking to it in some sort of foreign language. Justin left the hall, so Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished. The hall was in utter silence. Everyone was staring at Harry, and I missed the reason why.

"He's a _Parselmouth_!" I heard some students gasp. What _was_ a Parselmouth?

"He could be the heir of Slytherin!" some more students exclaimed.

Then it hit me. Apparently Salazar Slytherin could speak Parseltongue too. Apparently that was a language only spoken to snakes. But I couldn't speak to snakes! If I wasn't related to Slytherin, was Harry?

In the dormitory Veruca, Florence and Madeleine ignored me- as _usual_. Ginny came in a few hours later to save me, but her robes were covered in feathers.

"Ew, Ginny, what's wrong with your robes?" Veruca asked with a sneer.

"Amy, I'm frightened!" Ginny exclaimed, ignoring Veruca. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into our little bathroom. "Look at me!"

"Ginny," I said calmly. "You were going to watch over Hagrid's hens, remember…maybe you just chickened out!" I laughed at my little joke. I stopped when I realized she wasn't.

"I'm _serious_, Amy!" she cried. "What happened was Fang was barking, so it startled the hens, so I grabbed one of the roosters to calm it down. All of a sudden I lost control - I don't know what happened after that though - and when I woke up again, it was…_dead_. I think I killed it, Amy. I think I strangled it to death."

"Did you tell Hagrid?" I asked.

"Heavens, no!" Ginny replied. "I'm such a coward, Amy; I _left_! I ran!"

"Ginny, you _need_ to tell Hagrid," I said coolly. "He's going to think you couldn't protect it from a fox or a werewolf-"

"He said a Blood-Sucking Bugbear."

"Right! Or a Blood-Sucking Bugbear or what have you. He's going to think that _you_ didn't care enough to save it in time. And he'll become suspicious. This wasn't the first one to die this term after all."

Ginny didn't respond. "I heard about Harry Potter," she said randomly. "About him speaking to that snake. About him being a Parselmouth. About him possibly being the heir of Slytherin."

"That isn't for sure, though," I pointed out. "There have been other suspects of the heir of Slytherin, you know. Me, for instance. Malfoy- a _major_ suspect."

"I suppose so," Ginny said. She was silent for about five minutes time, but then finally spoke again. "Would you mind getting these feathers out of my robes?"

"Not at all," I replied, brushing the feathers out of her robes.

"Amy," said Ginny. She reached into her robes and pulled out Tom Riddle's diary. "I'm giving this to you."

"Ginny, why?" I asked. "_You_ need it so much. Why are you giving it to _me_?"

"Because I don't want it," she replied.

"So you're giving it to _me_?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

I gave her a cautious look. "Okay…" I said. Then we went to bed.

There was a blizzard last night, so Herbology was canceled. People said Sprout was trying to create a cure from Mandrakes for Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey. Harry was going mad, I think, in the Gryffindor common room. He really wanted to go to Herbology today and I had absolutely no idea why.

"Why?" I asked him.

"I need to talk to Justin Finch-Fletchley," he replied. "He thinks I was egging the snake on yesterday but I _wasn't_! I was trying to _save_ Justin!"

"I don't know why he's so confused," said Carly Perry, giving Harry an assuring look. "Didn't he get it? Why would you _want_ to hurt Justin? What did _he_ ever do to you that was _soo _terrible?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. "It's just making me nervous."

Hermione, who was playing chess with Ron, had her knight dragged away from its horse by one of Ron's bishops. "For heaven's sake, Harry," she said. "Go and _find_ Justin if it's so important to you." So Harry got up and left through the portrait hole.

"Did you hear?" yelled Seamus Finnigan, running over to us.

"About Harry and the snake, Seamus?" said Ron with an eye roll. "_Yes_."

"No, _no_!" Seamus snapped. "About Hagrid's roosters! They keep disappearing! Do you know what this means? Maybe whatever's attacking the school is attacking Hagrid's roosters!"

I silently looked over at Ginny, who looked down with shame.

"Not necessarily, Seamus," said Hermione. "Whatever's attacking the school is obviously more interested in targeting things more important than _roosters_. I'm sure another small, trivial animal got into Hagrid's hen coop."

"Whatever you say, Hermione," said Seamus. Then he left, just like Harry.

Then I thought of writing in Tom Riddle's diary. I looked at Ginny again and held up the diary, and she shrugged. I wrote, "_Amy Sellick again. Not doing much anything at all, no. Kind of bored. Class doesn't begin in a few hours_."

"_I know the feeling_," the Diary (or Tom) wrote back. "_If you're so bored, Amy, I have a favor for you. Is that alright_?"

"_Sorry,"_ I replied. "_I don't take favors from strangers, thanks_."

"_No, but it's a very _important_ favor. You see, I want you to go back to the corridor where that message was written on the wall. I want you to open the chamber. Am I understood_?"

"_No, not quite, Tom. For some reason I think you're trying to get me to do something bad. I'm still suspicious about all those favors you've asked Ginny to do. I don't think I should do what you asked."_

_"You're a very stubborn girl, aren't you, Miss Amy? I don't like stubbornness in a person. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to do this the hard way. I didn't want to, but I'm afraid I'm just going to have to." _

It felt as if I had waken up from a dream. But I didn't. Out of nowhere I found myself in the corridor where Mrs. Norris had been Petrified. The only light in the corridor was the light being given off from the torches. It was unusually quiet. I kept walking through until I could see it- Justin Finch-Fletchley laying on the floor! He was cold, frozen in shock, and his eyes were staring up blankly at the ceiling. Then Nearly Headless Nick was in the air; black and smoky instead of pearly-white and transparent. His head was half off. He wore a frozen look of shock on his face.

I gasped because there was a line of spiders crawling away quickly from the bodies. My hands shook as I lifted the quill pen and wrote in the diary, "_Tom, I'm confused. I'm losing my memory. I found myself in the corridor next to the chamber, and I've no idea why I'm here. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick are Petrified. Did _I_ do this to them_?" Then I heard Peeves flying around.

"_Run, Amy_," said Tom. "_That's the only advice I have to give to you. Run!"_

So I ran. About ten seconds later I saw Harry Potter coming. I ran even faster now so he wouldn't see me here. I didn't want him to suspect me. Who knew; maybe I _was_ the heir of Slytherin?

"_Tom, YOU made me do this! I know you did!"_

_"Amy, you foolish little girl. I did nothing of the sort. YOU did whatever it was that just happened. Now I want you to never argue with me ever again, is that clear?_ _Otherwise you're of no good use to me."_

I returned to Gryffindor Tower as if nothing strange had just happened. I attended all of my classes as usual. All day I couldn't listen in class though. I was still thinking about what had happened, wondering if _I_ did it or not.

At night I continued to write to Tom. "_Tell me what happened,"_ I demanded.

_"Fine, I will, since you begged,"_ Tom replied. _"Of course I knew about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."_

_"What's this all about?"_ I wanted to know.

_"I can show you, if you'd like,"_ he replied. _"I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him." _

_"What do you mean? Take me inside your memory?"_

_"You'll see!" _The pages of the diary started flipping madly, stopping halfway through the month of June. A little square at the top corner of the page that said June thirteenth became three-dimensional all of a sudden. I was lucky the other girls were asleep because all of a sudden my body was tilting toward the book and I disappeared from my bed. I could only make out color and shadow.

Soon enough my feet hit solid ground. I felt extremely dizzy. Then the images around me took form and I could make out the blurred shapes. I found myself in Dumbledore's office, but it wasn't _Dumbledore's_ office. It was a dried-up, frail-looking wizard with a few wisps of white hair on his bald head. He was reading a letter by candlelight.

"My apologies, sir!" I exclaimed. "I didn't mean to interrupt-" He didn't answer though, or even look up for that matter. "I'll go now, I promise, sir," I assured him. But he still didn't answer. Then I assumed he must have been deaf. I froze as he got up and walked past me (without even glancing at me) and went to draw his window curtains. It was sunset outside. The wizard sat back down. He stared at the door. Then there was a knock.

"Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice.

A boy who looked about sixteen years old came in. He was so breathtakingly handsome - just as handsome as Cedric Diggory - tall, pale, and dark-haired. There was a silver prefect's badge on his chest.

"Ah, Riddle," said the headmaster.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" Riddle asked. Was _this_ Tom Riddle? Was this gorgeous boy the one that had been writing to _me_?

"Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," said Tom. He sat down, looking very tense.

"My dear boy," Dippet began kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

"No," Tom argued quickly. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that - to that-"

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" Dippet asked curiously.

"Yes, sir," said Tom, his cheeks turning red.

"You are Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood, sir," he said quickly. Like me. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents-?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me- Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

"The thing is, Tom, special arrangements might have been made for you, but in current circumstances…"

"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Tom.

"What _about_ the attacks?" I demanded to know. None of them responded though. Embarrassed, I kept my mouth shut.

"Precisely," the headmaster replied to Tom. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy…the death of that poor little girl…You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the - er - source of all this unpleasantness…" _Who_ died?

Tom's eyes widened. "Sir- if the person was caught- if it all stopped-"

"What do you mean?" said Dippet, his voice squeaking. He sat up. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," Tom said quickly. _Liar! _I thought to myself.

Dippet sat down again, looking disappointed. "You may go, Tom…"

Tom slid off his chair and started out the room. I followed him. We went down the moving spiral staircase together, even though he never even glanced at me. Tom stopped when we were out. I did too. He was thinking. Soon enough though he ran off again. I followed. Then we noticed a tall wizard with long, abundant auburn hair and a beard.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?" he asked, not even noticing me. Then I realized this was Dumbledore about fifty years younger then he was now.

"I had to see the headmaster, sir," Tom replied.

"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since…" He sighed. "Good night, Tom." Then he left.

Tom then led me down the stone steps to the dungeons. We ended up in the dungeon where Snape taught Potions. Tom pushed the door almost closed. We waited. And waited. And waited. I was going to leave, but then I heard someone creeping along the passage. Tom went through the door and followed the sound. For about five minutes we followed the footsteps. Tom stopped suddenly. I heard a door creak open. Then I heard someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.

"C'mon…gotta get yeh outta here…C'mon now…in the box…" That was peculiar. This voice sounded like a much younger version of Hagrid's.

Tom jumped around the corner. I could make out the shape of a huge boy crouching in front of an open door. There was a very large box next to him.

"Evening, Rubeus," Tom said in his lovely voice.

Rubeus slammed the door shut and stood. "What yer doin' down here, Tom?"

Tom stepped closer. "It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

"What d'yeh-"

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone," Tom continued, "but monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and-"

"It never killed no one!" the large boy cried, backing against the closed door. I heard rustling noises behind him.

"Come on, Rubeus," said Tom, moving closer to him. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"

"It wasn't him!" the large boy thundered, his voice echoing. "He wouldn't! He never!"

"Stand aside," said Tom, drawing out his wand. He lit the corridor with the flame of his wand. The door behind the large boy flew open with a force so great it knocked him over to the wall opposite. Then it appeared- whatever was behind the door. From its large hairy body, tangle of black legs, many eyes, and pincers I could tell it was a giant _spider_!

"_Aagggh_!" I hollered. Luckily none of the boys heard me.

Fortunately the spider hurried away and vanished. Tom followed it and raised his wand. The large boy jumped on him, seized his wand, and threw him back down. "NOOOOOOO!" he yelled.

The scene became blurry; darkness surrounded me. I felt myself falling, so I screamed some more. _Crash_! I was back in my bed. Tom's diary was laying open on my stomach.

Then I understood. It was Hagrid. _He_ was the one that opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.

............

Author's Note: There are many suspects for the heir of Slytherin- Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Tom Riddle, Rubeus Hagrid, and even Amy Sellick herself! Whoever it is keeps opening the chamber and releasing an unbearable monster. Amy predicts that it is a giant spider. She hopes that it isn't her whose opening the chamber, but she's not so sure anymore because when Tom gave her the last favor, she found herself next to the Petrified victims…


	6. All About Slytherin

Author's Note: Review - Amy has many worries at the moment, but the most important she has now are _A)What is Tom Riddle_, _B)Why does Tom Riddle affect Ginny so much_, and _C)Who is related to Slytherin_? She has an idea about the second reason- after writing to Tom Riddle in his diary she found herself as being the wrongdoer of a crime. She went back in time through this boy's memory though and suspects Hagrid. But would the friendly, fun-loving Hagrid really be to blame?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

6. All About Slytherin

Even though I was very much the one who must have attacked Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick, everyone in the school was still blaming _Harry_. Not Fred and George though, or any of the Weasleys. When we were leaving the Gryffindor common room the next day Fred and George shouted things mockingly.

"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through!"

"It is _not_ a laughing matter," Percy told them starkly. When he saw the smile on my face he glared at me too. But I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny. I was laughing because for _once_ someone actually believed it wasn't Harry who Petrified Justin and Nick, like me. For once someone found the idea ridiculous, and couldn't see Harry doing something he didn't.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," Fred said humorously after seeing my smile. He and George always liked it when I laughed at their jokes and liked making them when I was around because of this. "Harry's in a hurry."

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," George added, chuckling lightly.

I laughed again but Ginny just frowned. Like Percy, she didn't find this a bit funny. I didn't either; I just liked the idea of someone else not agreeing with everyone else that Harry was evil.

"Carly!" called Fred. "Who do you reckon Harry's going to attack next?" Carly just laughed darkly in response so he asked Ginny. "Ginny, what about you?"

"Oh, _don't_!" she wailed.

"I don't think it's funny," I assured Harry. "I just laugh because I like the idea of someone else finding the idea of you being the heir of Slytherin ridiculous."

"Me too," Harry agreed, smiling. But like everyone else, he didn't expect _me_ to be the heir of Slytherin either. Malfoy walked past with Crabbe and Goyle. He glared at Fred and George. It was as if what they were saying made him sick.

"It's because he's _bursting_ to say it's really him," Ron assured Harry. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."

"Not for long," Hermione said with a satisfied smile. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

"We promise to tell you guys _everything _about what Malfoy has to say," Carly said to Ginny and me, gleeful. "We'll let you know all about Slytherin."

Ginny and I told her that sounded great, but I knew it couldn't be. I just couldn't let any of my friends know that maybe _I_ was the heir of Slytherin. That they shouldn't waste their time trying to get the Polyjuice Potion and all. That the person who might be opening the Chamber of Secrets was right in front of them and they shouldn't look any further.

Later that day in Care of Magical Creatures class with Professor Kettleburn something interesting happened. He was teaching us about different kinds of serpents, and some of the students were awfully curious why. So Luna Lovegood, the little Ravenclaw girl with waist-length, dirty-blond hair raised her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Lovegood?" said Professor Kettleburn.

"I suspect that the _basilisk_ might by the creature lurking inside the Chamber," she pointed out. Some of the students cackled behind her. "Why not?" she said. "They say that one look at them can Petrify a Muggle-born. What do you think, Professor Kettleburn?"

Kettleburn scratched his head. "Uh," he began, "sounds like a huge possibility, but we don't really discuss the Chamber in class…"

"I thought it was some sort of giant spider!" I shouted out, not even raising my hand. Some students laughed at me too, but less than the amount that laughed at Luna.

"Again, we do _not_ discuss this matter in this class!" Kettleburn cried, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Now let's change the subject! Learn about the different traits and attributes of star-bellied serpents! They exist only in South America, which makes them very rare, and their venom is highly useful for some experiments you do with Professor Snape, I hear…"

But I wasn't interested in the star-bellied serpents, and from the expressions on everyone's faces I could tell hardly anyone was either. We were all interested in what the creature was that was lurking the Chamber of Secrets. We wanted to get to the bottom of this.

The next day Ginny and I were wandering around the corridors during breakfast. This was because we were in the library most of the time, hoping to find some more information on Salazar Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets. But we didn't, so we just got ourselves in some more trouble when we learned the first class had already begun.

"Enough chit-chat with students from different years!" a careless seeming ghost called down at us as he flew up high in the air. "Get to your classes! Chat later at lunch or in your common rooms or what have you!"

"We're in the same year, thank you very much!" Ginny shouted back at him. The ghost probably thought Ginny and I were in different years because I looked about three years older than her. It wasn't because I looked very old; it was because she just looked very young. I already looked somewhat mature for my age. It sort of offended me when people thought of me to be older than other children my age, and Ginny knew this. That was why she would always be there to yell back at the confused people. She understood me.

"It's alright," she always said. "Doesn't make me feel any better; I _wish_ I looked older for my age."

"Believe me, you _shouldn't_," I always disagreed. _Always_.

We didn't get in much trouble as we feared since it was _Snape's_ class we were late to. This was because he was running late himself and we stepped in the door not long before he did. He blamed himself before he blamed us. That came in handy.

Soon enough the term ended. I was going to miss my friends like Harry, Hermione, Carly, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and even Percy. They were all staying at Hogwarts for Christmas break. I, on the other hand, _sadly_, was going home to visit my Muggle mother and Slytherin father. "Pray for me," I told Ginny as I hopped on the Hogwarts Express.

Ginny rolled her eyes and chuckled. "It's not such a big deal, really," she assured me. "You may be a bit upset about your dad's history here, but that shan't ruin your Christmas. Or your relationship with your own father, which is far more important."

"You sound like a mentor," I pointed out. She chuckled again. I waved to her one last time before the Express took off. I fell asleep before it arrived at King's Cross Station. Reluctantly, I shuffled my feet toward the barrier. When I broke it I sighed when I saw my parents. They looked so happy to see me home for the holidays, but I was not happy to see them at all. And that made me feel bad.

"Amy, darling!" Dad called, a huge grin on his face. "How was your year so far? You haven't written me back in ages! Your mum and I were so worried!"

"We _were_," Mum agreed, a relieved expression on her face. When I was finally standing in front of them they both hugged me one at a time. I didn't hug them back, so Mum looked a bit sad. "That's funny," she said. "Why don't you hug us back?"

"She's probably a bit overwhelmed," Dad replied, chuckling lightly. "Maybe she hasn't been having a good year. This is Amy, right? This isn't another girl in disguise- Polyjuice Potion, perhaps?" When he laughed his usual, friendly sounding laugh it seemed so different to me for the first time. It didn't seem neither usual nor friendly. Instead it seemed sardonic and cruel. Like Salazar Slytherin's.

"No. This. Is. Amy," I assured him with a stiff, rude kind of tone. Not the kind of tone you would want to hear from your daughter after not seeing her for months, but I didn't care.

Another thought entered my mind. I _was_ going to be in Slytherin. But my Muggle mother saved me. So I thanked her. I would have been in Slytherin since I was related to the Slytherin family the Sellicks, but I wasn't pure-blooded. Only pure-blooded witches and wizards were accepted in Slytherin. Tells me a lot about myself and my family history. Makes me really admire them. Hardly.

"What has gotten into you, young lady?" asked Mum, putting her hands on her hips. "What has made you so different? Have you been listening to that Draco Malfoy boy?"

"That's _it_!" I exclaimed. "Dad, you were a Slytherin! I know that, you know. _Dumbledore_ told me."

The redness in Dad's cheeks faded. "Why would he tell you _that_?" he wanted to know.

"Because they're suspicious, Dad!" I replied. "They're suspicious that _you_ are the heir of Slytherin!"

Dad put his finger to his lip, cautiously eyeing the Muggles walking around. He didn't want them to hear this magic business. "Amy," he said in a hushed tone. "I don't know a lot of things, but I know _this_. Yes, I _was_ in Slytherin during my days at Hogwarts, but that doesn't mean everyone in my family _was_. We are _not_ related to Salazar Slytherin, _that _is for certain. So you've nothing to worry about, my darling. Do you hear me?"

"Are you sure?" I wanted to know.

He nodded. He was smiling, but I could tell he felt pained. "Does that make you feel any better?" he asked.

I didn't answer, but I asked something else. "Are you and Lucius Malfoy like Slytherin pals?" I wanted to know. "Do you work for the Dark Lord or something? Are you double spies for the Ministry? Are you hiding something, _Father_?"

Dad looked appalled. "Amy, you have gone insane!" he shouted in a whisper. "My spy days are over! Now I am just a simple editor for the _Daily Prophet_! I don't know why anyone makes such a big deal out of me anymore; I'm no longer a hero!"

I was going to say "More like a villain", but I didn't want to argue much longer so I didn't say anything. When we went toward the car I realized I was still holding Tom Riddle's diary. I would get to the bottom of things. I would.

When I got home I went up to my pink bedroom and started writing in Tom Riddle's diary again. I started writing more important things in it- not just about what I was doing at the moment. But about my secrets. What? He showed me a secret of _his. _I believed it was okay to share.

_"My dad's a Slytherin and I can't believe it,"_ I confessed to Tom. _"And I'm so angry, yet I still have to spend the Christmas break with him. I wish I didn't have to. I wish I could stay at Hogwarts with all of my friends."_

_"Like Ginny Weasley?" _Tom Riddle wrote back_._

_"Yes, Tom," _I replied_. "Like her."_

_"Honestly," _he continued_, "a Slytherin isn't such a bad thing. It's actually a good thing. All powerful, pure-blooded…"_

_"You were half-blooded, Tom, yet still you were in Slytherin. How is that possible?"_

_"Maybe I was just very talented for a young man. Maybe your father was very talented too. Gryffindor isn't exactly the house for young prodigies, Amy. It's the house for bravery, which is a quality very little possess. Maybe that's why your father hadn't been placed there."_

_"But my father _was_ brave," _I argued. _"I've heard of the story about how he alerted the Ministry of Voldemort's rebellion the night he killed the parents of Harry Potter. He was a good man, Tom. Something a Slytherin isn't."_

Tom didn't write back for a long time, so I supposed something might have happened to him. Before I closed the book he finally continued. He came up with something different, as if he wanted to change the subject. _"Tell me about your year at Hogwarts, Amy. We haven't really discussed that yet."_

_"Well there's this boy in Slytherin,"_ I began. _"His name is Draco Malfoy. I know I shouldn't like him, Tom, but for some reason I just do. I can't help it. He's mean to me, you know. And his dad and my dad are such good friends. I just can't tell Dad I dislike the Malfoys."_

_"Hmm, that is a tough decision to make. Pointing out the hard truth to a loved one. And being young and attracted to another, yes, I've heard it all. Especially when the one you are attracted to is from a completely different world."_

_"Did you have an experience like this one, Tom?"_

_"Oh, no, but I do have an example."_

_"Who does it involve?"_

_"My parents." _Then he told me all about his witch mother and her fondness for a handsome Muggle lad. How she fed him a love potion and how Tom Riddle was born. How Tom Riddle's father left his mother and how she died right before her son was born. How he had to live on his own without a family in a Muggle orphanage for years. How he had so much hatred for his father because of this.

_"That sounds awful, Tom,"_ I replied.

_"It is. Tell me a little bit more about you, Amy."_

We wrote back and forth for hours. I felt as if I poured out my soul to this wizard, whether he was real or not. Nearing the end of our conversation I told him about how much I loved him and his advice and about the fact he was one of the best friends I ever had. He told me he loved me too and loved writing to me. I was happy too because based on the memory he showed me about his past it looked like he had been really handsome. That was a bonus.

Dad opened the door of my bedroom. "Amy?" he said. He noticed the diary on my desk. "Amy, dear, what is that?" He pointed to it.

"It's a diary, Dad," I replied.

"Are you _sure_?" Dad wanted to know. "I was hearing a bit more about hexed diaries. I edited some articles on them recently in the _Prophet_. They're not even diaries. Have you heard of Horcruxes, Amy?"

"No," I said, my tone annoyed.

"I would be careful, Amy," he said. Then he peered over my shoulder to see what I had been writing. "Is there someone writing back to you _in_ the diary?"

"What? No!" I replied quickly, my voice falling a little flat on the _no_.

"If you're sure," Dad began, "I'll leave." He shut the door closed.

_"Sorry about that, Tom. My dad can get on my nerves sometimes."_

_"Don't say that. You haven't met _my_ dad. Not that _I_ ever met him."_

_"Ha ha. ____" _Then I laughed to myself_. "Goodbye."_

_"Goodbye, angel. Write me tomorrow." _I would_. _

When Christmas day approached I ran downstairs. I was twelve years old now, but I still believed in Father Christmas, so I was delighted to see what he would have given me. There it was under the freshly picked tree. It was right next to the miniature train that had been rushing on the tracks underneath (without batteries or a plug). It was the doll that I wanted. She looked a whole lot like me, except much younger. As old as I was I still enjoyed playing with my dolls.

"Thank you, Father Christmas," I said silently.

"Aww, that is too lovely!" I heard Mum's voice exclaim. She came into view now. Her hair was held up in a ponytail. "Amy, get dressed, darling. Then I can take a picture."

I got changed into a satiny yellow dress with puffy short sleeves and ruffles. There was a velvet red vest attached to it. The look was completed with red-and-black striped stockings and black Mary Janes. I looked in the mirror and saw a twelve-year-old girl with long, straight brown hair and sparkling olive eyes staring back at me. I didn't think much of myself much but today I looked like a Christmas dream, especially in my outfit. I don't think I could ever feel any prettier.

"She's very beautiful!" Dad exclaimed. "Amy, would you like a photo in the _Daily Prophet_? Some of the editors are taking candids of their families and their Christmas. They are going to appear in the next edition, you know."

"I wouldn't mind," I said, a twinkle in my eye.

"Here," said Mum, coming over to place a velvety red ribbon in my hair. We had an enjoyable Christmas. I received a lot of extraordinary presents, both magical and non-magical (like MP3 players that don't need batteries, handmade scrapbooks and cards, and many more), and then we went out to eat at a Muggle restaurant. It was all good fun. But I just couldn't wait to write Tom Riddle about it.

When I wrote to Tom he suggested I should go to my dad's private, magical room. Check it out. Learn a little bit more about my family's past. So I did. When my parents were asleep that night I went down to the basement and found the room. There they were- all of the moving paintings. Then I found a mirror. But this mirror wasn't like most mirrors. This mirror was ceiling-high with an ornate gold frame, and stood on two clawed feet.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _Those were the words in the inscription carved around the top. I stepped a little closer toward the mirror. I stopped though when I realized I wasn't the only one in the mirror. There was someone else too, someone I recognized. I looked behind me to see if anyone was there. There wasn't. I looked back at the mirror. It was Draco Malfoy next to me. And he had a rare kind smile on his face. But why was he there? He wasn't really.

I stayed in front of the mirror for hours, quite liking the empty company.

The day before returning to Hogwarts I wrote to Tom Riddle again. I told him all about the mirror and he told me it was the Mirror of Erised. Apparently this mirror was supposed to show you the deepest desires of your heart. It kind of made me feel foolish to learn that Malfoy was the deepest desire of my heart - especially him with a kind smile upon his face - but it made me feel disappointment all at the same time. To know that it wasn't real. That it would probably never happen.

Everything went normal- me having a normal conversation with Tom Riddle. But then he brought up the strangest thing and the rest didn't go well.

_"Amy, now that we are such good friends,"_ he wrote, _"one good turn deserves another. Now that I helped you with advice for when you return to Hogwarts, you should do a favor for me when we return."_

_"What is that, Tom?"_

_"Open the Chamber of Secrets for me."_

_"Why would you want me to do something ghastly such as that?"_

_"Because Tom Riddle has been discovered again, that's why. The Chamber must be opened. The time fifty years ago isn't enough. The job isn't done yet. It is not yet complete."_

_"Why would I want to do something that puts so many students in danger?"_

_"Amy, this wouldn't _harm_ a student. This would _help_ them."_

_"How, Tom? How would this _help_ a student?"_

_"You'll see when you do it, Amy. You'll see."_

When he told me this I changed my opinion of him. I was going to give the diary back to Ginny. I didn't want to argue with an imaginary wizard anymore, no matter how handsome he was. I wasn't just going to take favors from a stranger.

Before I knew it school was back in session. Hermione Granger was absolutely nowhere to be found. People were guessing she was attacked. If she was then it definitely wasn't my fault. I wasn't here all break.

"_Harry_ had the monster attack her!" cried a Hufflepuff student named Ernie Macmillan. "It's _Harry_! They were _both_ here over the break!"

Some students also mentioned trying to go down to Madam Pomfrey's to get a glimpse of Hermione. They said that it was a shame because Madam Pomfrey covered Hermione's bed with curtains. There must have been a reason for that.

Word got around Hogwarts within the first two days that it was _not_ Draco Malfoy who was the heir of Slytherin. This was because Harry told Ron, who told Neville, who told Dean, who told Seamus, who told Fred and George Weasley, who told the whole school. Harry and Ron must have found out over break when they were using that Polyjuice Potion.

On the first day back I immediately handed Ginny the diary. "Here," I said. "It's not going to work out for me."

"What?" she wondered.

"Keeping this diary," I replied. "He keeps telling me to do things…things I don't want to do."

"Like what?"

"He keeps telling me to open the Chamber of Secrets! But how? It's ludicrous! I don't even know _how_ to open it!"

Ginny's blue eyes flickered. "I'll tell him…" she began. She opened her mouth to continue but the words just couldn't come out. "I won't tell him anything, how does that sound?" she said.

"That sounds perfect," I replied. Keeping him hanging was the right thing to do in my opinion.

Ginny had an idea then: she was going to get rid of Tom Riddle's diary. She was going to throw it away in the girls' bathroom. I was going to go with her when she did this. When we got there we heard a girl crying. It was Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who had been at Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party. Ginny ignored her. She was very businesslike at the moment.

Ginny turned on all of the sinks in the bathroom and let them run. I thought she was acting like a madman, but I didn't stop her. I knew how upset she was. Trust me, I was feeling the same exact way. "Ugh!" Ginny shouted as she threw the book up in the air. It landed in one of the stalls.

"Hey!" came Moaning Myrtle's shrill voice. Apparently _she_ was in that stall. By the time she could come out and see who had thrown the book we were gone.

Within minutes we could hear Argus Filch talking- or shouting was the better word. "Ah, even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw! I'm going to Dumbledore!"

A few days later Hermione returned one evening at the Gryffindor Tower. Everyone crowded around her to learn about why she was out, but she never answered. Harry and Ron were always there to pull her away from the crowds. Something else peculiar happened- I don't know if I was mad or not but it seemed to me as if Tom Riddle's diary had fallen into Harry's hands. I thought I shouldn't have told Ginny…

For the next few weeks people were continuously blaming Harry for opening the Chamber of Secrets and being the heir of Slytherin, particularly Ernie Macmillan and Peeves. Not Gilderoy Lockhart though. In class he would always brag about how the culprit of the crime was no longer opening the chamber because they were so worried _he_ would catch them. It wasn't me though. Right?

"What the school needs is a morale-booster!" he kept repeating in class. "Wash away the memories of last term!"

It was the night before Valentines Day. Hermione couldn't avoid the crowds in the Gryffindor common room since Harry was at a very late-running Quidditch practice and Ron was with him. So basically Hermione and I were being gawked at as we were each making our own individual valentines for Professor Lockhart.

"I think mine is finished," I pointed out. I held my valentine up in the air for Hermione to see. It was made with pink construction paper. I magically pasted a moving photograph of Lockhart from one of his books onto the cover. On the inside I wrote him a message: _"Dear Gilderoy Lockhart, you are by far my favorite teacher here at Hogwarts. You are very brave and magnificent. I am so happy you teach us Defense Against The Dark Arts. You put a smile on my face every day and I never mind finishing your homework. I wish you could stay here forever. Sincerely, Amy Sellick."_ I paused. "Does it sound too gushy?"

"Too _gushy_?" Hermione repeated. "Read _mine_ if you want to know the meaning of _gushy_!" She thrust her card at me. Like mine it was also made with pink construction paper. It had hearts popping all over the cover. They surrounded the finely embroidered letters forming the word _Gilderoy Lockhart_. When you opened it confetti would explode and it would play a lovely tune.

Then I read her message out loud: _"Dear Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, I love you and your class and you teaching your class! Every day I can't wait for your class to begin! I can never wait to learn what you have to teach us next! If it weren't for you teaching at this school I think I would be lost! Imagine a world without your bravery and all your brilliant ideas! You make studying a lot more enjoyable for me; meaning I actually care when _you _teach! Please stay the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher every year that I'm here! Love, Hermione Granger. XOXOXO."_

"It's not _that_ gushy," I lied. Hermione had a hopeful smile when I said this.

Ron came back to the Gryffindor common room without Harry. He looked over my shoulder and read Hermione's valentine. "I could vomit!" he exclaimed with discuss. "_Lockhart_? That bloke- 'Imagine a world without your bravery and all your brilliant ideas!' Don't make me laugh!"

"You're just jealous, Ronald," Hermione snapped, snatching the valentine from me and tossing a pile of her books on top of it.

"Jealous of _what_?" Ron said as he stormed away.

"Can't say I blame Ron," Ginny announced bluntly. "Lockhart isn't all that brilliant. He just puts up an image."

"I don't know about _that_, Ginny," Hermione disagreed. "How can he make up something so plain? It is absolutely _obvious_ he has done so many great things! They are all written down in his books!" I kept my mouth shut.

"Someone can make up stories," Ginny continued, "no matter how believable they may seem."

"Have you made any valentines, Ginny?" I asked her.

Ginny blushed. "Just one," she admitted.

"Who is it for?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card made of green-and-black construction paper. On the cover there was a amateurish drawing of Harry Potter. There were musical notes dancing around it. "It sings," Ginny said, still blushing. She became so red that she looked as if she had a terrible sunburn. "You can open it; listen to the song if you want."

I took it from her. I opened it. It sang: "_His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad; his hair is as dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he's really divine; the hero who conquered the Dark Lord._"

"This is for Harry, no doubt?" I asked. She nodded. "It's sweet."

"I agree," Hermione pointed out. "It is very sweet, but you're sort of putting yourself up for a lot of humiliation. I would be very careful if I were you."

Ginny took it from me and bowed her head in shame.

Valentine's Day morning we all went down to the Great Hall. The walls were abundant with large, lurid pink flowers, and there was heart-shaped confetti falling from the pale blue ceiling (that resembled the sky blue skies outside).

"Oh my, he's here!" Ginny exclaimed, lowering her head. Then I looked over at the doors. There was Harry. He was late; he must have overslept from that late-running Quidditch meet.

"What's going on?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione, wiping confetti from his bacon.

Lockhart was sitting at the High Table, wearing shocking pink robes that matched the flowers covering the walls. He was waving his hand in the air to silent the hall. Each of the teachers surrounding him looked uneasy- particularly Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart exclaimed. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!" When he said this my eyes shot right up at Hermione. She looked at me too, giggling. Then Lockhart continued, "Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all- and it doesn't end here!"

He clapped his hands and a dozen surly-looking dwarves marched in through the doors. They had been wearing golden wings and carrying harps, like Cupid. "My friendly, card-carrying Cupids!" Lockhart exclaimed. I almost thought he was being sarcastic when he said 'friendly', since they looked far from that. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands, and Snape looked as if he'd strike anyone who would come up to him and ask him about a Love Potion.

Before we left the Great Hall Hermione and I went up to the High Table. We were going to give Lockhart our valentines. "What is it you need, ladies?" Lockhart asked. He looked over at Flitwick and Snape, who both stormed away before anyone could say or do anything. He looked at Hermione and me again.

"We brought you these," I replied bravely since Hermione obviously wasn't going to say anything. I handed him my valentine, as Hermione hers.

"Why, thank you, ladies!" said Lockhart. "Forty seven…forty eight! Lovely! I'll read them just before the first class begins! I wish I could repay you somehow, though I haven't time, so I just want you to know that I thank you dearly! Does that sound alright?" We nodded, blushed, and headed to our first class.

"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," said Ron. Hermione didn't respond. That's right- she was one of the forty-eight.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Amy Sellick," said a lovely voice. I looked up. It belonged to Cedric Diggory. He was smiling down at me.

"Same to you, Cedric," I replied just before I entered Potions.

Near the end of the day as Ginny and I were heading to our last class (in a line of several other first years) one of the wing-wearing dwarves started calling Harry Potter's name. "Oi, you! 'Arry Potter!" He looked very grim. Harry tried to flee from him, so Ginny looked alarmed. The dwarf, who was cutting his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins, caught Harry before he'd gone very far. "I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person."

"_Not here_," Harry hissed.

"Stay _still_!" the dwarf grunted. He grabbed Harry's bag and pulled him back.

"Let me go!" Harry demanded, tugging. Then his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment, and quill spilled all over the floor. His ink bottle smudged everything. He tried to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing. This caused everyone to stop walking to their classes and listen.

"What's going on here?" asked Malfoy.

"What's all this commotion?" Percy wanted to know.

Harry tried to run, but the dwarf seized his ankles. This brought him to crash down onto the floor. "Right," said the dwarf, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing valentine!" He began singing the poem Ginny had written in her card. Harry became very red in the face. The crowd roared with laughter. Harry got up, the dwarf falling down on the floor. The only person who looked redder than Harry was Ginny.

"Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class now," said Percy, shooing me and some of the other first years away. "_And_ you, Malfoy!"

Malfoy picked up an old, ugly book that had fallen out of Harry's bags. Then I realized Ginny had seen it too- it was Tom Riddle's diary. She was staring from the diary to Harry over and over again, looking terrified.

"Give that back," Harry said quietly.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Malfoy said, followed by the snickering of Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise Zambini, and Sidney Quagmire. The corridors were silent now.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy sternly.

"When I've had a look," Malfoy argued, waving the diary in the air with a wicked, taunting grin.

"As a school prefect-" Percy began, but Harry lost his nerve.

Harry pulled out his wand and shouted, _"Expelliarmus!". _The diary flew out of Malfoy's hand. Ron caught it.

"Harry!" Percy exclaimed. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"

Ginny and I started running towards our last class. Malfoy shouted at Ginny, "I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!"

Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into Arithmancy, which was our last class. I shouted back at Malfoy, "Leave her alone, _Malfoy_!" There was scorn in my voice when I said _Malfoy. _"She's humiliated enough as it is!"

"Oh, Sellick, save your breath!" he said. "You know you're just upset since no one sent _you_ a valentine! Good thing too! Someone would have to be _mental_ to be attracted to _you_!" Several Slytherins cackled behind him as they ran to their last classes.

I cried pretty much all of Arithmancy, but I sat in the back of the room so no one would see me. At the end of the lesson though I collected all my strength and marched up to Ginny. "You know what this means, don't you?" I asked.

"What?" she replied. "Malfoy being such a prat?"

"No," I pointed out. "Harry and Tom Riddle's diary."

She looked down. "Yes," she replied quietly.

............

Author's Note: Draco Malfoy is so mean! I really hate him at the moment- gurr! Lol! Poor Ginny. Poor Amy. They worked so hard on getting rid of Tom Riddle's diary and now it has fallen into the hands of the famous Harry Potter. A new problem. So is Harry going to become the next victim? Is he going to fall for Tom Riddle's favors? Or is Tom Riddle going to act differently with Harry…? Of course _you_ know! But if you don't, keep reading!


	7. Pages In A Diary

Author's Note: Review - Amy doesn't quite like what Tom Riddle has told her to do over Christmas break, so she gives Ginny the diary and together the two of them get rid of it in the girls' bathroom. They think it's gone, but really it isn't. Instead it falls into the hands of Harry Potter. The girls aren't quite sure of what to do next but they need to do something quickly, or Harry Potter might really be to blame about this situation. If you like it, give me feedback!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry Potter _or its characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

............

7. Pages In A Diary

Harry went to bed early because Fred and George were singing specific lines of Ginny's valentine repetitively in the common room. "I _will_ take action," Ginny assured me, glaring over at her brothers. "I _will_ snatch the diary from him, but first please excuse me to yell at my two idiot brothers."

I chuckled. "Yes, they've been growing quite annoying." She smiled and then ran over to them. She started screaming at them. While she did this I silently, secretly followed Harry to his dormitory. He closed his door just before I could see anything happening in his room. Disappointed, I just went to my dormitory. I couldn't sleep though. I kept thinking about what Tom Riddle would try to do next.

For the next day Hermione and Ron kept asking Harry about the memory he had seen in Tom Riddle's diary- the same memory I had seen where he caught Hagrid as being the culprit of a crime. Ron kept reminding Harry about how much Tom seemed like Percy, being a prefect and Head Boy and all. Then the three of them decided they wouldn't go to Hagrid unless there was another attack.

"The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature!" Professor Sprout announced to the class, referring to the Mandrakes. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing!"

Yes, the medicine for the ones Petrified was almost ready. About time too.

Easter was nearing and we all were supposed to pick our subjects for our second year. I selected mine since I was good at them all and like Hermione said, 'It could affect our whole future!' I agreed to this. A bunch of people wanted to give up Potions, but they couldn't since that was a core subject.

It was quite easy for me to select my subjects, but not so much for Neville. Everyone in his family sent him letters containing different advice on what to choose. "Amy!" said Neville.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Which sounds harder?" he began. "Arithmancy or Study of Ancient Runes?"

"I'd say Arithmancy, but that's my opinion," I pointed out.

"Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome."

Neville wasn't the only one having a hard time though. Dean Thomas had been raised by Muggles. He ended up picking his subjects at random- selecting whichever ones his wand landed on. Not Hermione though. She picked everything. I didn't know how she would be able to pull it off.

The three main ones I remember picking were Divination, Muggle Studies, and Care of Magical Creatures. Sure, I already knew a lot about Muggles since I lived with one but it was just more interesting and easier than anything else left on the list.

The following Saturday, which was the day of the Gryffindor Quidditch match versus Hufflepuff, Harry and his friends spread the news that the diary had been stolen. And I knew why. It was Ginny. She told me she was going to do it before it happened.

"So I just took it from his room," she said later, looking proud. "And I'm going to write a well written, thought-out message to Tom Riddle saying that I am going to hide his diary once and for all."

"Watch what you say," I warned her. "Don't get him too angry at you."

"I don't care what he thinks!" she snapped. "He's just inside a diary! Like he can actually _do_ anything!"

I supposed she was right, but I was still scared for her.

When Ginny and I sat up in the stands on the Quidditch field, ready to cheer for the Gryffindors, Professor McGonagall marched toward the middle of the field. She was holding an enormous purple megaphone. "This match has been canceled," she announced through the megaphone.

"But, Professor!" shouted an older Gryffindor boy named Oliver Wood, the captain of the Quidditch team. "We've got to play- the Cup- _Gryffindor_-"

"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!" She lowered her megaphone and said something to Harry. She, Harry, and Ron went back into the castle. Everyone else, who was outside, just started complaining and groaning.

"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening," Professor McGonagall said to us in the Gryffindor common room. "No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."

Yes, the Gryffindor students were all packed in the common room. McGonagall choked as she rolled up the parchment she had been reading from. "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

I learned about who the monster had Petrified now. It was Penelope Clearwater, Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend- a _prefect_. The monster attacked a _prefect_. It also attacked Hermione Granger. This was terrible. Hagrid was going to take the blame for this; I just knew he would.

I was the last person in the Gryffindor common room. I just sat there, listening. But I couldn't hear anything. I was waiting for news about what would happen to Hagrid. And then I heard it.

"For the _last_ time, Cornelius," Dumbledore's voice began, "I don't think what you're doing is right. Hagrid has my full confidence. You can't do this."

"It's the _Ministry's_ orders, Albus," the next voice replied. I recognized it at once. It belonged to Cornelius Fudge. "If we don't act on it quickly enough, more Muggle-borns will be attacked and think about all the pressure the school governors will put on me! Just think!"

Suddenly interested, I stepped out of the portrait hole. I used my wand as a flashlight. When I saw them in the halls I put my wand down. I could make out Dumbledore and his long silver beard. Then I could make out the man with him. It was the same odd-looking man with rumpled gray hair that had intimidated me for years- Cornelius Fudge. They were in some sort of argument. About Hagrid.

"Not Askaban, Cornelius," Dumbledore implored. "That is much too extreme for a punishment."

"It isn't a _punishment_, Albus," Fudge corrected. "It's a _precaution_. Once someone else is caught he'll be let out with a full apology."

Not making a sound, I came a little closer to hear what they were saying more clearly. Then I stepped on something. It croaked! I was disgusted when I learned that it had been Neville's ugly toad Trevor, but I was more worried than disgusted at the moment. Dumbledore and Fudge looked up, so I hid behind one of the walls.

"What was that?" said Fudge, looking a bit frightened.

"Nothing, nothing, Cornelius," Dumbledore assured him. "There are ghosts haunting the corridors. But you know that, don't you? And the portraits- don't forget them!"

"Right, right," said Fudge. "Let's go. I'm in a bit of a hurry." Then they went away and disappeared out of sight.

"Damn you," I said quietly to Trevor. I flinched when I heard someone else's footsteps. Then Peeves flew about.

"Naughty, naughty!" Peeves sang in a whisper as he flew down in front of me. "Ickle firstie out of bed! You'll get caughty!"

"Quiet, Peeves!" I hissed.

Peeves cackled. "Alright," he said. He flew away. I was relieved, until I heard him shouting. "Snoop! Snoop! Student out of bed, wandering the halls!"

"Hmmm," said a voice. The blood drained from my face when I realized it belonged to a certain someone- someone who intimidated me much more than Cornelius Fudge did. But how could have it been? Did he have anything to do with the school? And then he came face to face with me-

"Lucius!" I exclaimed loudly and uneasily. "Hello! What brings you here?"

"Dear, dear me," he said, looking down at me. He was wearing a black traveling cloak, along with an amused smile on his face. "I should be asking _you_ the same question! A student out of bed this late? Especially at a time like this! Ha, that's funny. Why?"

"Well, I wanted to hear more about…Hagrid," I said, barely even in a whisper.

"Miss Sellick," Lucius began, bending down at my level. Now his icy gray eyes were piercing into mine. It almost stung my eyes to make contact with his. "This clearly is not your problem. So if I were you I'd stick my nose out of other people's business. Now when I come back up here later I don't want to see your pretty little face again. Are we clear?" I nodded. "Good," he said coldly. He chucked me under the chin and strutted away.

"See?" Peeves cackled. "Don't stick your nose in other people's business, you _snoop_!"

"Oh, shut up!" I hissed as I crept back in through the portrait hole.

Life at Hogwarts was so much different now that Hagrid and Dumbledore were gone. I just knew it was because of Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy. This made me so angry; I wished that it had been _them_ who were overthrown from the Ministry. How come _they_ had so much power? Everyone felt the same way. Everyone was worried and tense.

Only one person was enjoying the absence of Dumbledore and Hagrid though, and of course that person was Draco Malfoy. He was going on and on about it for the following two weeks after the incident.

Every day our teachers had to personally walk us to our next classes. I remembered a time where Snape was walking us to our next class and I tried to stop to use the bathroom and Snape stopped me.

"No. Bathroom. Breaks. Miss. Sellick," he said.

"But it is an emergency, Professor," I replied, feeling quite embarrassed to give him the details about how I felt at the moment. To make matters worse my whole class started laughing, except for Ginny.

"You'll need a chaperone then, Miss Sellick," said Snape, not laughing like everyone else. His expression and tone of voice were completely serious. "Professor McGonagall, would you be so kind to take Amy to the bathroom?"

"Yes, Severus," Professor McGonagall replied.

When we went to Defense Against The Dark Arts, Lockhart didn't look as grim as the other teachers. Instead he looked like his usual self. "Why all the long faces?" he asked, beaming. Nobody replied. "Don't you realize the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away! We're all safe now!"

"Not true!" I shouted. Everyone stared at me, but they didn't laugh. For once. "Hagrid isn't the one who's unleashing the monster! It's someone else though nobody knows who it is! When you say it was Hagrid it's a lie!"

"My dear girl, the Minister of Magic is wise!" Lockhart pointed out, still beaming. "He knows what he's doing! If he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that Hagrid was guilty-"

"Cornelius Fudge isn't wise!" I argued. "And he doesn't know what he's doing! He's just a person like you or me! He can make mistakes! He's made a mistake! It is _not_ Hagrid!"

"Miss Sellick, I know a _touch_ more about Hagrid's arrest than you do," Lockhart said coolly, now wearing a sarcastic smile. The room went quieter all of a sudden when he said this.

"Yes, but I know a _touch_ more about Cornelius Fudge than you do!" I replied. "He's my dad's boss; he comes over to my house all of the time! You probably don't even know the man!"

"Wow, this is even better than the Dueling Club," Veruca Ambry said cruelly, crossing her arms.

I ignored her. "Well?!" I said to Lockhart, who looked appalled.

"Well…" said Lockhart frowning, "I never had to do this before, but I'm afraid I may have to for the very first time." He went to his desk and started searching for a quill and piece of parchment. "Since you have been the first student to ever question my intelligence, Miss Amy…" He found what he needed. "Ah! Yes! Because of this, Amy, I'm going to have to send you out of my classroom."

"Huh?" I exclaimed.

"What are you talking about, Professor Lockhart?" a boy with curly dark hair asked. "No one can be sent out of a classroom at a time like this! Remember, the monster is still lurking the school?"

"I don't care!" Lockhart pointed out. "Miss Amy Sellick here isn't Muggle-born and she can find her way to her next class, can't she?"

"It's ludicrous!" exclaimed Madeleine Meander. "You can get fired, Professor Lockhart! Sending a student out in such a dangerous time!"

"Professor McGonagall will watch her," Lockhart assured the class.

"Professor McGonagall is still teaching her own class," said a tall blond boy.

"Someone will walk her over," Lockhart replied.

"Who?" said Florence Tolliver. "It has to be a teacher!"

Lockhart frowned. "Alright, alright. Stay _here_ class! Don't go wandering off and you'll be perfectly safe." He walked over to my desk. I got up and followed him out the door. When we were outside Lockhart was grabbing my arm as if he was holding onto it for dear life.

"What are you doing, Professor?" I asked.

"Do you see it?" he asked.

"See what, Professor?"

"The monster!" he replied. "Do you hear it? Is it here?"

"No, Professor," I replied. "You're safe."

"Great," said Lockhart, letting go of my arm and sighing for relief. I thought he was braver than that.

When we were at the door to Transfiguration he opened it. I saw Professor McGonagall, who looked quite astonished to see us. "Gilderoy!" she exclaimed, her jaw dropped. "Why are you here with Miss Amy?"

"Taking her to your class, Minerva," he replied.

"No, no, no!" Professor McGonagall shouted back, running towards the door and shooing him away. I hadn't seen her so emotional in my life. "That won't do, Gilderoy! Have you gone mad? Not at a time like this!" She slammed the door shut. I could hear some students laughing but I wasn't too embarrassed. It was probably just Lockhart they were laughing at. He was being so irrational these days.

"Smooth," I said under my breath, not thinking he would hear me.

"Excuse me?" said Lockhart, placing his hands on his hips and glaring down at me.

"Nothing, sir," I lied. "I was just humming."

"Good," he replied, his expression softening. "Let's get back to class."

That night the Gryffindor common room was especially crowded since none of the students had anywhere else to go from six o'clock onward. Harry and Ron seemed very tense and nervous while Fred and George were challenging them to a game of Exploding Snap. Fred, George, Ginny, and I were the last to go to bed. The whole time I was wondering why Harry was so nervous.

The next day Professor McGonagall had a dreadful announcement to make. She said that exams would start on the first of June, one week from now. She said that Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible and that we should be studying hard.

Three days before our first exam Professor McGonagall said, "I have good news!"

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" exclaimed Luna Lovegood.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" guessed Wood excitedly.

When the noise and excitement died down, McGonagall continued, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit." There was an explosion of applause.

"Should I…?" Ginny asked me.

"Should you what?" I was curious to know.

"Tell Harry," she replied. She was referring to Tom Riddle's diary.

"Yes, Ginny," I replied. "I'll go with you." Then we walked over to sit next to Ron. I felt uneasy when I saw Ginny look so tense and nervous.

"What's up?" said Ron, pouring porridge in his bowl. Ginny didn't say anything, but she had a scared look on her face. "Spit it out," said Ron.

"I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, looking down at her shoes.

"What is it?" said Harry. Ginny looked as if she couldn't find the right words.

"_What_?" said Ron.

Harry leaned in forward. "Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked. "Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"

Ginny inhaled at the precise moment that Percy Weasley appeared. "If you've finished eating, I'll take that, Ginny," he said. "I'm starving. I've only just come off patrol duty." Ginny looked frightened when she scampered away. I followed her.

"What is it?" I asked her. "Why do you look so afraid?"

"I'm writing to Tom," she said, collecting herself as she tried to look brave. But I knew she wasn't.

"You can't!" I argued. "You just can't! He can do things, Ginny! Even if he is only in a diary! He's a wizard, you know! And a very talented one too!"

"I have to," she said. "I'm breaking it off once and for all." With his diary clutched in her arm she sped off to a private end of the Gryffindor table.

Later when we were leaving Arithmancy Ginny took off. "Ginny!" I called. "Stop running! Where are you going?"

"To the Chamber of Secrets!" she replied.

Then I felt the anger boiling up inside of me. "No, you don't!" I shouted back, lunging at her. I accidentally toppled over her. I grabbed her by the ankles next. "No! You! Don't! You'll be killed!"

"Tom told me to!" she argued.

"Tell Tom to shove it!" I demanded, still holding onto her ankles.

"No!" she argued. She kicked me in the face with one of her feet. It wasn't too hard, but it hurt enough to make me let go of her. She stormed away.

I stood up and felt my face. There was blood. Tom Riddle had officially turned Ginny Weasley into a monster and there was nothing I could do about it. I ignored the blood from my cheek and tried to tear away after her, but then Professor Snape stopped me. "Sellick?" said his low, deep voice.

"Professor Snape!" I replied, turning around and looking up at him. "You've got to stop Ginny, sir! We've got to!"

"I saw that little argument," he pointed out, folding his hands behind his back and walking in a circle. "It was quite peculiar; I always thought you two were friends."

"We are, sir, but she's been acting very odd lately! You see-"

"She's probably just back in the _Gryffindor_ common room, Miss Sellick," he assured me, almost choking when he said the word _Gryffindor_. "Now follow me. We can't afford to have another student at Madam Pomfrey's. There isn't enough medicine." He already started off. I tried to take off in the opposite direction, but then I realized he was there too and he put his hand out in front of me. I looked up at his gaunt face. He shook his head. "Nuh uh uh," he said. "Come now. It's late."

All of the time in the common room I was worried. I didn't speak to anyone. Ginny was digging her own grave. I was alone because Snape sent me back too early. He was wrong; Ginny wasn't here. And now she was most likely dead, or something close to that. I was angry. I was angry at Tom Riddle for being so evil and controlling. I was angry at Ginny for listening to what he says. I was angry at Snape for catching me. I wanted to help my friend. And I couldn't help her by just sitting in Gryffindor Tower doing nothing.

Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas came into the room next. "Did you hear?" Seamus asked me. "Ginny Weasley has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets by the monster! There are words written on the wall: _'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever'_".

"No!" I exclaimed, even though I very much knew this would happen. I started toward the door, but Seamus and Dean blocked me with their bodies.

"You can't," said Dean. "If the teachers see you out this late you'll get in big trouble."

"But I need to save Ginny!" I argued, trying to push past them.

"You can't!" Dean said again, now grabbing one of my arms. Seamus grabbed the other.

"Yes!" Seamus agreed. "They say Lockhart's on the job! _He's_ going to go in and rescue her!"

"_Lockhart_?" I repeated. "But he's a coward!"

"Apparently he isn't," Seamus disagreed.

Then a bunch of Gryffindors started pouring in. Only few spoke. One of them was Cormac McLaggen, a boy two years above me. He was saying that he found it foolish that a bloke like Lockhart could tackle the monster. I agreed with him. Veruca talked about how Ginny was such a freak to listen to a diary. I wanted to smack her, but I didn't. Because in a way I sort of agreed with her too.

I felt sorry for Harry, Ron, Fred and George the most though- more than how I felt sorry for myself. They were all sitting in one corner, not speaking at all. Usually Harry and Ron were so adventurous and Fred and George were so merry. It made me so sad to see the life taken from them. Everyone felt just as sorry for the Weasleys as I did so when Harry and Ron got up and left through the portrait hole nobody stopped them. I wanted to go too, but I couldn't move. I was too shocked.

I fell asleep that night, surprisingly. But then everyone was awakened. I was awakened by Ginny, who came into the dormitory, jumping on the edge of my bed and exclaiming things. "Wake up! Wake _up_, Amy!" she sang.

"I'm up, I'm up," I replied. "What is it?"

"There's going to be a feast!" she replied. "Just now! Come down!" Her yelling had awakened Veruca, Florence, and Madeleine too. We all went downstairs to the Great Hall in our pajamas.

Harry told us all about how he and Ron solved the mystery. The creature was a basilisk- a giant serpent whose look was fatal. It Petrified Muggle-borns (Luna Lovegood had been correct). They told us about how Lockhart's memory was erased when he tried to erase their memory using Ron's wand (which was bent so it backfired) and how Harry tackled the basilisk, with a little help from Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix.

The thing that bothered me the most was that Tom Riddle, a sixteen-year-old boy who had written in his diary about fifty years ago, was really Lord Vol- I mean, _You-Know-Who_. Ginny, Harry, and I had been writing to the Dark Lord in a much younger form. And it was _not_ Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago. It indeed was Tom Riddle, who was trying to blame a more likely suspected student (Hagrid often kept strange pets in the corridors during his years in Hogwarts) so he could stay in Hogwarts during the summer. He didn't want to go back to the dreaded Muggle orphanage he lived in.

It was funny how the pages in a diary could be so powerful, so effective. It was a hoodwinker, no doubt- an object of Dark Magic. Then Harry told us about how Dumbledore returned and spoke to Lucius Malfoy and how Mr. Malfoy gave Ginny Tom Riddle's diary at Flourish And Blotts the time he and Mr. Weasley were fighting. I always knew I didn't like Lucius. And then we all heard about how Mr. Malfoy lost his house-elf servant Dobby (the reason for the rogue Bludger earlier).

Then we saw Hermione in the doors. "You solved it!" she exclaimed merrily, rushing over to our table. "You solved it!" She gave Harry a huge hug. She thought about giving one to Ron, but changed her mind and just nodded at him.

"I'm so sorry, Harry! So sorry for suspecting you!" Justin Finch-Fletchley apologized repetitively after hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table. Hagrid came over (he was released from Askaban) and cuffed Harry and Ron tightly on their shoulders. Gryffindor won the House Cup for the second time in a row (mostly because of Harry and Ron's four hundred points for their valiant acts) and McGonagall announced our exams had been canceled.

"Oh, _no_!" Hermione cried. She studied so hard.

Then Dumbledore announced that sadly Lockhart would not be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts the next year since he lost his memory. There was a roar of applause. The teachers joined in also for that news.

"Shame," said Ron, stuffing his face with a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me." We all giggled. "_What_?" he said.

The rest of the term flew by quickly. Defense Against The Dark Arts had been canceled for the rest of the year. Lucius Malfoy was sacked as a school governor and Draco Malfoy was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. He was all sulky and quiet instead. Ginny was happy again, and that made me very happy also.

On the journey back home in the Hogwarts Express Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, Carly and I had a compartment all to ourselves. We played games of Exploding Snap, set off Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practiced Disarming each other by magic. Harry was very good.

"Ginny," Harry began as we were nearing King's Cross Station. "What did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" I must have missed when Percy told Harry this.

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well- Percy's got a _girlfriend_." Well I already knew _that_.

Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. "_What_?" he asked.

Ginny told him about how it was Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect. That he'd been writing to her all last summer. How he'd been meeting her all over the school in secret. How they'd been _kissing_ in empty classrooms. How he'd been upset when she'd been attacked. Then she asked him not to tease him.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, grinning mischievously.

"Definitely not," George added with a snicker.

The Hogwarts Express came to a stop. When Harry was speaking to Ron and Hermione, Ginny went up to me. "I'm going to ask you something, alright?" she said.

"What is that?" I wanted to know, shushing little Silvermist, who was being held in a cage.

"I want-" She was interrupted when Florence and Madeleine came over.

"Ginny!" exclaimed Florence.

"Amy!" added Madeleine.

"Hello, girls," said Ginny. "What is it?"

"We feel so sorry for Veruca," Florence replied.

"Yes!" Madeleine agreed. "She's attending detention with Filch for a whole week, even though it _is_ summer."

"I'm sorry, girls," said Ginny.

"Yes," I lied. "_Soo_ sorry."

"Well, have a good summer, girls!" they said as they ran off.

"You were saying…?" I said to Ginny.

"I want you to come over this summer," she replied. She grabbed a quill and piece of parchment from her bags and started writing down an address. "You might have to come within a week though since we are going to Egypt."

"I bet I will!" I assured her. We broke the barrier together as we left platform nine and three-quarters. When we came out I could already see my mum and dad speaking to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum!" exclaimed Ginny, grabbing my hand. "Dad! This is my new best friend Amy Sellick! She has to come over before we go to Egypt! Please!"

"Alright," said Mr. Weasley. "We were speaking to her parents just now and they seem like very nice people." He smiled warmly at me. "Hello, Miss Amy! We hear many great things about you!" He put out his hand for me to shake it.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley!" I replied, shaking his hand enthusiastically. For once I was not intimidated by an adult!

"We do, alright!" Mrs. Weasley agreed. "And you may come over, dear, any time you'd like. As long as we're not at Egypt we'll be ready for your visit."

I chuckled. "That's great," I said. The Weasleys used Floo powder to get home when we just used our simple Muggle car. In the car I told Mum and Dad all about my year. I told them about how much I couldn't wait to go back again next year. I liked Hogwarts. It was far more enjoyable than my old Muggle school!

............

Author's Note: Yay! It's over! Wow, what a year Amy Sellick had at Hogwarts! And it's only just the beginning- she has yet six years left to go! If you like it, please tell. I like it a lot myself. In the end Amy has her friends back and the mystery has also been solved. Hopefully her second year won't be as dangerous, but also just as exciting! I have other Amy Sellick stories coming!


	8. Summaries

Chapter One: Amy Sellick is an ordinary half-blooded witch with a particularly well-known father, who often gets visits from his good friend the Minister of Magic. Her wizard father and Muggle mother have different opinions about her starting her first year at Hogwarts and argue about when she should get her school supplies. Filbert Sellick tells his wife Charlotte that it is safer at Hogwarts because You-Know-Who's army can easily wipe out all of the Muggles in the world but wizards know how to protect themselves. Amy receives the letter from Hogwarts and they use Floo powder to shop for supplies at Diagon Alley. She buys her baby owl Silvermist there. Then she shops for things like robes and wands. She ends up getting a short wand- but it's very powerful too. When she goes to Flourish And Blotts to find books there is an event going on- the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher for Hogwarts Gilderoy Lockhart is signing books. There Amy meets her new friends such as Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and the famous Harry Potter, who are all going into Hogwarts a grade above her. She then meets Gilderoy Lockhart, who appears valiant and glorious. She also is introduced to the snooty Draco Malfoy and his sinister father Lucius. She gains an interest in this evil boy, and it isn't good.

Chapter Two: Amy Sellick goes to King's Cross Station. Apparently the Hogwarts Express is in platform nine and three-quarters, and you need to break a barrier to get there. When she does she is being laughed at by some older students because she is wearing her robes ahead of time. When she boards the train she can't sit with her new friend Hermione because Hermione has to sit with the Gryffindors, and Amy's house is not yet determined, so Hermione suggests she sits with Ginny, Ron Weasley's younger sister. Ginny shows her a suspicious diary that is supposedly owned by _Tom Riddle_. When the first years follow Hagrid to the Hogwarts castle, they hear a loud crunching sound (that turns out to be Ron and Harry's car crashing into the Whomping Willow later on). Then the Sorting Ceremony begins, where the ugly, talking Sorting Hat places each first year into their houses by sitting atop their head. He decides Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, _and_ Slytherin would all be useful for Amy but in the end he picks Gryffindor. Ginny, whose becoming her new friend, is also picked for Gryffindor, like all of her brothers who came before her.

Then Professor Dumbledore makes an abundant feast for everyone. The students are introduced to their house ghosts. Two of the most memorable Gryffindor ones are the formal Nearly Headless Nick and the mischievous Peeves. Then Dumbledore makes some announcements before Gilderoy Lockhart makes a speech about the last year's evil Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Quirinus Quirrell, who had been working with You-Know-Who all along. Draco Malfoy seems to be upset with Amy since she was picked for Gryffindor instead of Slytherin and all of a sudden doesn't seem to like her anymore. At the end of the night Amy and Ginny went to their dormitory and met their other roommates, popular and outgoing Madeleine Meander, snobbish and pretty Veruca Ambry, and Veruca's dependent sidekick Florence Tolliver.

Chapter Three: The first day of school Ron receives a Howler from his mom about how he and Harry flew to school in a Muggle car, which has the whole school laughing. Hermione wishes Amy luck as she heads to our first class, which is Potions, taught by the unpopular, cold Severus Snape. On the way there she trips and Draco Malfoy and his gang start teasing her. Snape, who usually cares for his Slytherin students, scares the gang away and talks to Amy on the way in his class. Snape isn't particularly mean to her but surprises her when he tells her that he knew her father during his years at Hogwarts. Amy and Ginny attend all their classes together, but the only one that really stands out is Gilderoy Lockhart's. Amy finds him charming and Ginny doesn't. Lockhart gives them a test on himself and then starts to open a cage of pixies, but doesn't have enough time. When lunch was over Amy meets a kid from her classes named Colin Creevey who has a hobby of taking pictures with his Muggle camera. He continuously takes pictures of Harry and Amy and wants some more since they are so famous. Draco comes and makes fun of this. He calls Amy a dog, which offends her deeply, since she has a crush on him. Lockhart comes over and breaks up the fight. Amy thinks he is going to help, but really he just wants to pose for a picture with Harry and Amy for Colin. Amy skips a Quidditch practice she hears about where Draco called Hermione a Mudblood, an offensive term for a Muggle-born witch or wizard.

Halloween is nearing. Ginny doesn't have a cold anymore and she's well enough to tell her brothers Fred and George not to tease Amy. Amy speaks to Nearly Headless Nick one night about a party he can't attend called the Headless Hunt. Then they hear a _meow_…

Chapter Four: Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat finds Amy, and eventually so does the caretaker, Argus Filch. He takes her in for detention for being up after hours. She tells him she is Veruca Ambry instead of Amy Sellick (so he ends up looking for Veruca throughout the book). When he's about to punish her Peeves flies in and distracts him. Amy is able to escape. Nearly Headless Nick tells her he sent Peeves and then invites her to his deathday party, which will take place on Halloween. A handsome older boy named Cedric Diggory says hello to Amy just before she follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Nick's deathday party. Amy leaves the party early and discovers something terrible- a writing on the wall- THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. She tells the teachers but they suspect Harry Potter since he is right next to Mrs. Norris, who has been Petrified. Malfoy suspects Amy for Petrifying the cat. Amy researches the Chamber of Secrets and learns about Salazar Slytherin. Amy and her friends suspect Malfoy for being the heir, and think about using Polyjuice Potion to find out. At a Gryffindor Quidditch match versus Slytherin Harry gets attacked by a rogue Bludger. He breaks his arm and Lockhart gets rid of its bones.

Chapter Five: Colin Creevey is Petrified. Amy takes him to Madam Pomfrey's along with Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore. Dumbledore then asks for Amy to come to his office. He suspects she might be the heir of Slytherin and tells her that her dad was in Slytherin as a boy. She is upset about this. Amy doesn't write back to her father after he sends her all of his letters - even on her November birthday - and students are already trying to ward off the monster that keeps Petrifying people. There is something called a Dueling Club, but Ginny doesn't want to attend because she has a feeling she needs to be at Hagrid's hut and take care of the roosters. Amy meets Hagrid and leaves Ginny there, and goes to the Dueling Club. Harry talks to a snake that is trying to attack a Hufflepuff boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley. Then the school suspects Harry is related to Salazar Slytherin since he was talking to snakes and so could Slytherin. That night Ginny returns to the dormitory panicking to Amy that she thinks she killed Hagrid's roosters. She gives Amy Tom Riddle's diary.

The next day Harry goes off to speak to Justin. Amy starts writing to Tom Riddle and he forces her to go to the Chamber of Secrets, where she finds Nearly Headless Nick and Justin have been Petrified. She is so nervous because she thinks she did it. She runs when Harry is in front of the Chamber and Harry gets blamed yet again. Then Tom Riddle takes her back in time to when he caught Hagrid for unleashing the monster (which seems to be a giant spider) fifty years ago. Now she suspects Hagrid, but doesn't want to believe it.

Chapter Six: People still blame Harry for the attacks. A girl in Amy's Care of Magical Creatures class named Luna Lovegood thinks the creature is a basilisk, even though Amy thinks it's a spider. Amy goes home for Christmas break reluctantly; she doesn't want to see her Slytherin father and Muggle mother again. Her dad assures her he is not related to Salazar Slytherin, that much he knew. Amy starts pouring out her soul to Tom Riddle. And he tells her a little bit about himself. Christmas morning comes along and she receives many special gifts. She stops being fond of Tom when he tells her to keep opening the Chamber of Secrets. When they return to school she gives the diary back to Ginny, who throws it in the girls' bathroom, not caring that it will go through the whiny ghost Moaning Myrtle. Then she floods the bathroom. Harry has the diary after this. On Valentine's Day Ginny is embarrassed because she makes Harry a song and he doesn't like it. She learns Harry has the diary, and becomes obsessed. Draco makes fun of Ginny's song so Amy yells at him and he tells her she's just upset since no one would send her a valentine because nobody could be attracted to her. She gets sad again, but tries to ignore it when she and Ginny plan to take back Tom's diary.

Chapter Seven: Harry has been shown the same memory Tom showed Amy about Hagrid. The Mandrakes (the medicine for those Petrified) is almost ready and things are getting better. There are no more attacks. The Quidditch match for Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff is canceled because Professor McGonagall announces two more students have been attacked- Hermione Granger herself and Percy Weasley's prefect girlfriend Penelope Clearwater. Amy sneaks out of the Gryffindor common room that night to hear Dumbledore speaking to Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Fudge tells him that Hagrid needs to be taken to Askaban as a precaution. When they leave she hears Lucius Malfoy's footsteps, and Peeves gives her away. Mr. Malfoy, who intimidates her greatly, tells her to stay out of trouble and walks away. Peeves still mocks Amy, who sneaks back in through the portrait hole.

Dumbledore and Hagrid have both been taken away from the school through the Order of Suspension. Gilderoy Lockhart says Hagrid is to blame for the attacks so he has an argument with Amy in class. He then wants to take her out and have McGonagall watch her, who turns the option down. Ginny tries to tell Harry about Tom Riddle's diary but doesn't. Later that day she has an argument with Amy and runs off toward the Chamber. Snape stops Amy before she can follow her friend and sends her to Gryffindor Tower. Ginny has been taken in by the monster at the Chamber of Secrets, according to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Amy tries to go in after her but they stop her.

Ginny wakes Amy in the middle of the night! She has been rescued! She says there is a celebration feast. All of the people who have been Petrified are back to normal and Dumbledore and Hagrid have returned. Apparently Tom Riddle was You-Know-Who as a boy, which makes Amy very unsettled. When they leave Hogwarts Ginny invites Amy over to her house before she and the Weasley go to Egypt. Then the story is over.


End file.
